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Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is teaming up with the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (GSTF) to provide new opportunities for local Girl Scouts to participate in fun, service and badge-aligned projects in the great outdoors, focused on nature and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) explorations and leadership development.
Girl Scouts perform volunteer work that serves their community and creates environmental stewards. This partnership will help further these efforts. One example is the Girl Scout Tree Promise national planting initiative, partnered with Million Trees Miami to schedule tree plantings at Miami-Dade Parks allowing girls to earn the “Trees Badge.”
They also have ample opportunities to lend their helping hands to annual signature events presented by Miami’s Dade County Parks’ Miami EcoAdventures, like the Outdoor Skills-O-Rama at Bill Sadowski Park and Ultimate Outdoor Skills Day at Crandon Park and at landmark discussions, such as the Science of Disaster Presentation (Parks Helping to Create Resilient Communities) and Global Action Climate Summit, among others. Through Miami EcoAdventures activities, the Girl Scouts can also earn Trees, Outdoor Skills and Night Owl Badges.
Most recently, the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida was awarded the 2020 Volunteer of the Year, as part of the Deering Estate Foundation’s annual Champion Partners of the Year awards. Through the Deering Estate’s partnering, they have been able to expand the Girl Scout program’s reach to provide badge and volunteer opportunities both virtually and in person.
The Girl Scouts will join the Parks Department in a number of volunteer service projects and programs at West Matheson Park. These are to include a coral rock restoration, park clean-ups and plantings, and the removal of invasive exotic plants from the hardwood hammock forest. Activities also will include Geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt, offering opportunities for participants to enjoy an outdoor adventure and earn badges.
Girl Scouts will be offered tours with Parks’ natural areas staff to learn the significance of county’s natural habitats, such as hardwood hammocks, coral rock ridges, and native and endangered plant species. Girl Scouts also will spend time with parks planners, demonstrating how they design, build and measure park usage.
In addition, the Girl Scouts plan to hold a Thin Mint Sprint and other 5K runs as part of the inaugural festivities for future trail development at the park.
“Miami-Dade County Parks is incredibly proud to partner with the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida,” said Miami-Dade County Parks director Maria I. Nardi. “Together, we share a great commitment of creating meaningful park and recreation experiences for youth that promote environmental conservation, resiliency and park stewardship.
“The Girl Scouts recognize the importance of spending time in the great outdoors, especially in times of social distancing. We are providing them with opportunities to earn park-related Girl Scout badges, while they explore these precious park spaces and learn to care for and keep them beautiful for the community.”
