girl scouts of the colonial coast
Sydney Mazat has
earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest honor and achievement a
girl can earn in Girl Scouts. Sydney is a junior at Grassfield High School.
After completing
over 80 national park junior ranger programs, Sydney decided to use the
information she learned over the years to create a Girl Scout Gold Award
project, “Junior Ranger Program at Northwest River Park.” She created an
interactive booklet which allows kids to learn more about the surrounding area
in a fun way, including by doing a scavenger hunt!
Her project
encourages kids of all ages to get off of their electronics and enjoy the
outdoors. The program she developed teaches kids about the local ecosystem of
the park without the distraction of phones and other devices. She is confident
that through her project, participants will put down the electronics in order
to gain knowledge and an appreciation for Northwest River Park and nature in
general.
Program
participants also have the opportunity to earn a Junior Ranger pin and a
certificate of accomplishment once they complete the course.
Sydney’s project
was on display at a Family Fun Day at Northwest River Park recently, which had
over 15,000 visitors. She was able to encourage kids to complete the program.
“The most
successful aspect of the project was getting kids of all ages outdoors and
learning about nature,” Sydney said. “On Family Fun Day alone, hundreds of
people started the junior ranger program, and as the day’s Junior Ranger
Deputee, I was able to swear in many junior rangers.”
Sydney’s project
will be sustained by the Chesapeake Department of Parks and Recreation.
