girl scouts of the colonial coast
Imagine you are walking a nature trail with your troop and
you come across a small bunny all alone. We might begin to wonder if it was
sick or abandoned. It can be hard to know what to do or who to call when you
believe an animal is in trouble.
It may feel like a good idea to just take the animal home or
to a wildlife center, but taking animals from their habitat can often cause
unintentional harm. Removing animals from their environment, especially babies
when there is not an emergency, can be detrimental.
Girl Scout Ambassador Maren learned that this issue was
affecting her community in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Maren knew she had to
help. She was able to bring understanding about local
wildlife traits by developing informational pamphlets and hand-outs for local wildlife refuges to give to the community. Her materials also explain how to tell if an animal is
behaving normally or if it may be injured. In addition to developing
informational materials, she also created an informational website.
Maren used her cookie earnings to sponsor a Virginia Beach
SPCA representative’s visit to Rosemont Forest Elementary in Virginia Beach,
Virginia, for a day of fun and wildlife education for younger kids. Maren had a
great time sharing her knowledge of wildlife and their habitats with the
students and taught them what to do if they think an animal is in danger.
Through all of Maren’s hard work and dedication to wildlife,
she was able to earn her Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest honor and
achievement a Girl Scout can earn.
Thank you, Maren, for preserving wildlife and helping the
make the world a better place!
