girl scouts of the colonial coastGirl Scout Ambassador Reanne earned her Gold Award by completing her project titled, “Cats and Bats!” Reanne used her passion for animals and the outdoors to make a sustainable impact on her community.
Reanne became aware of two separate issues affecting animals in her area and developed solutions to make a difference. Firstly, to address the increasing issue of an influx of feral kittens in the spring months, she constructed ten feral cat homes for a local rescue shelter’s use. When there is an influx, the shelter may take in more kittens, versus turning them away ultimately contributing to an increase of feral cats. Reanne created a brochure for local businesses to display so individuals know what to do when they see feral kittens.
Reanne also became aware of an issue affecting the local bat population, White Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal infection that harms the nose, eyes, and ears of bats and is more prevalent in damp locations. When bat populations are reduced, insect populations subsequently rise. To address this issue, Reanne built 16 bat boxes for York River State Park so the bat population has a number of dry habitats in order to reduce the cases of WNS in the area.
Reanne learned construction and leadership skills while completing her project and says she was pleased to seek a challenge and help the community in not one way, but two.
Congratulations, Reanne!
