Girl Scouts Forever Green:
100th Anniversary Take Action Project
Girl Scouts can change the world– and you can be a part of it!
Girl Scouts Forever Green (GSFG), the Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary Take Action Project, is a national effort of girls leading their families, schools, and communities in improving the environment and protecting natural resources. GSFG invites girls to Take Action on three major projects—Reduce Plastic Waste, Earth Hour, and Rain Gardens. Participants are also encouraged to take an online pledge stating their year-long commitment to GSFG efforts.
Our Goal: We want every troop and Girl Scout Juliette in our council to become "Forever Green" by participating in one or more of the three major projects, and pledge to make a year-long commitment to Girl Scouts Forever Green!
Get Started Today- take the Girl Scouts Forever Green Pledge!
Follow these simple steps to help your girls create lasting change in their school and community. You and your girls can take the Girl Scouts Forever Green Pledge, either print off these pledge cards or by pledging on line at www.girlscouts.org/gsforevergreen. Then join in on one or all of the Girl Scouts Forever Green Projects!
The Three Girl Scouts Forever Green Projects
February: Reduce Plastic Waste
- GOAL: to reduce the number of plastic bottles and bags.
- HOW: Girls use reusable water bottles and bags throughout the month and encourage family, friends and community members to do the same! Want to create homemade reusable bags?
- HOW TO TRACK YOUR SUCCESS: For reusable bottles, use this Forever Green card to keep track! Record the number of times each girl refilled her reusable water bottle.
- For reusable bags - Record the number of times girls and their family and friends used reusable bags. Record the number of reusable bags given to others. Use this handy reminder card to convince others to take action and reuse bags! At the end of the month, log on to: www.girlscouts.org/gsforevergreen/ to share the good news with everyone.
March: Earth Hour – March 26, 2011
- GOAL: to encourage sustainable behavior change, lower CO2 footprints, and save energy and money.
- HOW: Girls can participate by encouraging family and friends to install ENERGY STAR® qualified, or other energy-efficient light bulbs – replacing incandescent bulbs, and by participating in the symbolic Earth Hour event by turning off lights between 8:30 - 9:30 pm on March 26, 2011.
- HOW TO SHARE YOUR SUCCESS: *Girls can keep track of the number of ENERGY STAR® qualified or other energy-efficient light bulbs installed. *Girls can encourage others to flip the switch by sticking these printable stickers on light switch plates. Girls can participate in and encourage others to participate in Earth Hour through registration. Use these handy reminder cards to spread the word about Earth Hour! At the end of the month, log on to: www.girlscouts.org/gsforevergreen/ to share the good news with everyone!
April: Create Rain Gardens
- GOAL: to increase green space and wildlife habitat, and improve water quality by reducing water-borne pollutants running into streams, rivers, and other water supplies.
- HOW: Girls are encouraged to plant and maintain rain gardens at schools, homes, or other sites and teach others how to do the same! For more information on how to make a rain garden, as well as before and after pictures, click here. Not sure what types of plants to use? Click here!
- HOW TO RECORD YOUR SUCCESS: Girls can measure how many square feet of green space is planed or count the total number of new native plants and trees have been planted. Spread the word by using these handy reminder cards.
Need more ideas to get you started? Look below for great ideas!
There are many Girl Scout Badges that your girls can work on to help them get ready for their Take Action Project click on the link that corresponds with your group's age level:
- Girl Scout Brownie Try-Its
- Girl Scout Junior Badges
- Girl Scout Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Interest Projects
More Project ideas found here:
Online Resources
Encourage your girls to explore the links below to find out how they can keep helping - throughout the whole year!
Waste Management
- www.greenschoolproject.com - This is a cartridge and cell phone recycling program that partners with schools to promote recycling. There are also lesson plans and printable worksheets on the website.
- www.therecyclingguy.com - Program for recycling cell phones and other electronics in a safe way that benefits schools and charities financially.
- www.nikegamechangers.com/earth - Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program reuses shoes to construct playgrounds and athletic facilities. Troops or councils can apply to host a shoe drive in their community.
- www.stopjunkmail.org - Ways to reduce junk mail and remove your name from mailings. This website has templates for letters that you can write to catalogs and credit card offers to reduce junk mail.
- www.crirecylingink.com - CRI Recycling buys e-waste including ink cartridges, cell phones, and ink jets that it then recycles.
- www.nationalgreenweek.org and www.eeweek.org - Information about two national environmental weeks aimed at schools and communities and how to make them greener. Girl Scout projects can be featured on the websites. There are also videos, facts, and resources about the environment and waste.
- www.terracycle.net - Resource for upcycling Capri Sun pouches and other drink pouches as well as energy bar wrappers. These unrecyclable products are made into new products such as purses and pencil cases. Candy wrappers and snack wrappers can also be upcycled!
- www.thinkgreen.com - Waste Management’s website helps educate people about the recycling process in a simplified and interesting way. Learn how waste is transformed to energy and how aluminum cans are recycled.
- www.howtocompost.org - A complete source of composting information and articles for beginners to experts, including educational resources for composting in schools, at home and in communities.
- www.freecycle.org - A grassroots nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) items for free in their own towns, in an effort to reuse and keep items out of landfills.
- www.newdream.org - The Center for a New American Dream’s website provides resources that helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. It includes a “green schools” section and highlights reusable water bottle efforts.
- www.catalogcancelingchallenge.com - The Catalog Canceling Challenge is a youth effort to cancel unwanted sales catalogs.
- www.kab.org - Keep America Beautiful is an organization that combines environmental education with hands-on stewardship. This website provides a network for action projects and gives project suggestions.
- www.farmtoschool.org - Farm to Schools is a non-profit organization that brings healthy local foods into schools and educates students about food, and how it travels from farm to fork. Learn about starting a farm to school program in your own school.
Water
- www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/online/participation_patches/water_drop/ - Water Drop Patch Project: A program resource, co-produced by GSUSA and the EPA, that teaches Girl Scouts about water quality and how to take action in their communities to protect and restore local water resources. Guidance on constructing rain gardens on school properties is included.
- www.epa.gov/safewater - The EPA has resources about water pollution, instructions on how to build rain gardens, and information about local water sources. This website includes links to publications about water conservation and ideas for promoting water efficiency.
- www.epa.gov/watersense/index.htm - Water Sense is an EPA partnership voluntary labeling program that offers consumers a simple way to make product choices that use less water with no sacrifice to quality or product performance.
- www.worldwatermonitoringday.org - World Water Monitoring Day is an international effort to improve water quality. There are test kits available to test the quality of local water sources.
- www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php - This website lists 100 ways to conserve water. One of these tips may spark a project idea.
- www.nwwater.com - The North Wales Water Authority provides information and facts about water and ideas for kids on how to conserve water. This website includes interactive games for kids about saving water and resources to teach children about water conservation.
- www.wetcity.org/resources.htm - Water Watchers: Conserving Water at Your School and Home, a school water audit and conservation handbook, helps educators mentor a student-driven audit of water use at school and in their homes. Lessons in the guide are arranged to lead students from awareness of basic water conservation issues to responsible action and stewardship of their water environment.
- www.projectwet.org - According to this website, "the mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.” There are numerous resources about water and water sources.
Energy
- www.southface.org - South Face focuses on energy sustainability projects. Resources include designs for green buildings.
- www.energystar.gov/powermanagement - Energy Star standards require that electronics use less energy than federal efficiency standards. Councils can join campaigns to reduce energy consumed by refrigerators, telephones, and computers.
- www.usgbc.org - U.S. Green Building Council provides information about greening buildings and LEED certification. There is a link to Build Green Schools.
- www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools - Schools are a great place to teach children about energy and the environment. This website includes suggestions on designing and building green schools.
- www.consumerenergycenter.org - Includes energy tips for schools, information about renewable energy, and transportation tips to reduce energy consumption.
- www.kidwind.org/lessons/teachers.html - Resources for teaching girls about renewable energy sources.
- www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools.asp - Information about wind power in schools. This website also provides links for interactive activities and other resources about wind power.
- www.epeat.net - EPEAT helps consumers choose electronic products (computers) based on their environmental characteristics.
- www.focusthenation.org - Focus the Nation is a national teach-in and policy agenda with a campaign to promote the civic engagement of youth.
- www.greenroofs.com - A resource portal for green roofs.
- www.fueleconomy.gov - The United States Department of Energy gives tips on vehicle energy usage and how to drive more efficiently.
- www.epa.gov/greenvehicles - The EPA’s guide to Green Vehicles help people chose fuel-efficient vehicles to meet their needs. This information can serve as the basis of an educational session in the community.
- www.emoregon.org/pdfs/OIPL/OIPL_Kill_A_Watt_fact_sheet.pdf - This is a PDF file about how to use a Kill A Watt to save energy.
Green Space
- http://www.kremp.com//Butterfly-Flower-Gardening-articles.htm - Butterfly Garden
- www.epa.gov/greenscapes - Suggestions for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly landscaping solutions. This website addresses composting, plants, green buildings and landscapes, and recycling.
- www.erthnxt.org/programs/trees21.html - This is an educational and tree-planting toolkit. This website suggests science-based activities for children ages 6–18 that reinforce the value of stewardship.
- www.edibleschoolyard.org - Edible School Yard is an example of an organic school garden in California. This website includes plans for gardens, recipes, and links to other Web sites about locally grown foods.
- www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/details/in_schools - Slow Food USA has examples of projects that meet community needs, such as cooking classes and school trips to local farms.
- www.lifelab.org - Life Lap gives tips for planting a school garden and has publications about school gardens.
- www.kidsgardening.org - Classroom project ideas, resource directory, and grant opportunities for kids’ gardens in the community.
- www.happeninhabitats.pwnet.org - This website is a great resource for learning about habitats and plants and includes suggested activities that are appropriate for elementary school–aged Girl Scouts.
- www.eeweek.org/resources/garden_curricula - The National Environmental Education Week website offers lesson plans about gardening and green space for each grade level of Girl Scouting.
Additional Online Resources
- www.epa.gov/kids - The Environmental Protection Agency provides a great resource about natural resources, animals, and the environment. Certain information and Web site links (such as the links to virtual experiments) are geared toward younger girls, while other information and links to scholarships and career ideas are appropriate for older girls.
- www.sustainablesites.org - Sustainable Sites explains why sustainability is important by focusing on the ecosystem. The Web site includes descriptions of case studies of successful sustainability projects. The Orange County Great Park case study in California summarizes community participation, performance goals, and lessons learned from designing an environmentally sustainable park.
- www.buildgreenschools.org - Build Green Schools provides information about green schools including LEED standards. There are resources including power points and videos about recycling, school-wide environmental projects, and energy-efficiency strategies. Other resources focus on K-12 environmental education.
- www.loe.org/series/NCPHS - Producing radio shows about the environment is a fun project for older girls who can partner with a local radio station. Living on Earth is an independent environmental radio station, and its Web site offers links and examples of shows produced by students.
- www.bioneers.org/education - Bioneers Education Community gives examples of successful environmental education projects that create positive change.
- www.nrdc.org - Natural Resources Defense Council has articles about current environmental issues, information on legislative policies, and resources for green living.
- www.sierraclub.org/education - Write about nature in the Sierra Club's Words for Wilderness around the World project. There are links to educational organizations, environmental education resources, and information about youth awards.
- www.ase.org - The Alliance to Save Energy posts exciting news about the environment and relevant legislation. There is a link to the Green Schools Program that outlines ways to make schools more energy efficient.
- www.gogreeninitiative.org - Go Green Schools is a network for schools to help promote stewardship in their communities. There are also resources for schools such as recommended worms for composts. This Web site also has an article titled, "Why Go Green" that explains the environmental, financial, and social benefits of living more sustainably.
- www.plt.org - Project Learning Tree is a Web site that helps students to learn "how to think, not what to think, about the environment." This Web site has many helpful resources and information about each of the focus areas. There are also surveys about resource usage (such as water usage) so that girls can assess how much is being used and how usage can be reduced.
- www.earthsky.org - Earth Sky is a partner with Project Learning Tree. This Web site features downloadable podcasts that provide information about the environment and science.
- www.nwf.org/wildlife - The National Wildlife Federation helps protect wildlife and promotes sustainability for the future. This Web site provides information about animals and how the focus areas connect to animal welfare and survival. For example, there is an article about eagles and mercury pollution that may inform and inspire projects goals to protect wildlife.
- www.eco-schoolsusa.org - Eco-Schools USA is part of the National Wildlife Federation and plans to launch its program in September 2009. This program helps schools become more sustainable and green.
- www.myfootprint.org - Individuals can calculate their carbon footprint by entering information such as number of people in household, size of household, number of miles traveled annually, and types of energy sources used.
- www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/index.htm - Kid's Crossing: Living in the Greenhouse, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, provides kids with general scientific information about climate change and the environment
- www.howgreenismytown.org - How Green is my Town? provides information about climate change, sustainability, and environmental health at the local level.
- www.greeneducationfoundation.org - The Green Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote and enhance environmental education in schools. This foundation helps mobilize communities through National Green Week, Green Thumb Challenge, I Play Green Campaign, and other programs and campaigns.
- www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/solutions - The CNN Web site has videos about solutions to environmental issues such as playgrounds made from recycled materials like milk jugs, tires, and sneakers.
- www.audubon.org - The National Audubon Center Web site provides environmental news and education. With more than 500 chapters around the country, this organization can create effective local connections for councils.
- http://www.epa.gov/adopt/linkinggirls/contacts.html - This is a contact list of the Linking Girls to the Land federal natural resources and associated partners that may serve as potential partners for Girl Scouts Forever Green projects. These agencies collaborate with Girl Scouts at the national and local levels to connect girls to nature, wildlife and the outdoors and empower girls to take action through projects focused on environmental education, outdoor skills development, career exploration and service.
