We know Girl Scouts  love to make the world a better place and our world would be a better place with more trees! Along with the Elliot Wildlife Values Project and American Forests, GSUSA is launching a bold tree planting and conservation initiative and patch program named The Girl Scout Tree Promise. The Girl Scouts Tree Promise has a mission to plant five million trees, across the country in five years, and to protect and honor new and existing trees. This will be great for wildlife, and it will help protect the planet from the effects of climate change. To help Colorado Girl Scouts dive into the Girl Scout Tree Promise, Danielle Ardrey, Conservation and Youth Education Specialist from the Colorado State Forest Service, will lead a hands-on virtual series all about trees. Girl Scouts can attend all events or pick which to attend! Plus,  this series also covers content for Girl Scout badges. Girl Scout Tree Promise – Poet Tree September 16, 4- 5 p.m. People have been writing poems about to honor trees since ancient times. Join us as we collect words to express thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about trees. Learn about different types of poems and express your creativity. This activity can also help with these badges: Juniors – Scribe (Start with a Poem) Cadettes – Trees (Step 3) Girl Scout Tree Promise – The Closer You Look September 23, 4 – 5 p.m. When was the first time you really stopped and took a close look at a tree? In this session, we will be sharing about our favorite trees and zooming in on a tree in your area. You might be surprised at the new discoveries you will find! This activity also goes well with these badges: Brownies – Senses (Look Around) Cadettes – Trees (Steps 2 and 3) Girl Scout Tree Promise – Discover Diversity September 30,  4 – 5 p.m. Join us on a journey to discover all the life that trees help support. Our Mission: imagining that we are on a journey to Earth from outer space, we will investigate our own backyards for signs of life. Is this planet devoid or plentiful? This session also supports these badges: Brownies – Senses (Look Around) Juniors – Animal Habitats (Investigate an Animal Habitat) Want to know more about the GSUSA Girl Scout Tree Promise and the patch program? The Girl Scout Tree Promise is a program developed to protect the planet from the effects of climate change by setting goals to both plant 5 million trees across the country in five years and to protect and honor existing and new trees. Girl Scouts can participate by planting tree(s) and/or exploring SciStarter’s projects for girls, volunteers, and others that deepens their engagement in the Tree Promise and citizen science. More information about the Girl Scout Tree Promise and the patch program can be found at Girl Scouts Trees – SciStarter. #badge #GirlScoutTreePromise #GSCOevents

Three Juniors from Troop 46327 saw a request for help and a need within our community. Izabella, Ka’Leigh, and Selena wanted to make welcome baskets for our local veterans and homeless community. They set their goal at 10 baskets, went shopping to create their financial goal, and set up a lemonade stand to earn money for the items needed. The girls exceeded their goals and these wonderful baskets will make community members happy and feel welcome in their new homes. #JuniorTroop #Juniors #PikesPeak #TakeAction

Kusafiri, the fifth World Center of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), was established on July 15, 2011 to bring World Center experiences to the Africa Region. Kusafiri is not an established building in a particular city and country like the other four World Centers. It is a “Roving” World Center. Since 2011 Kusafiri events have been hosted by the following African countries: Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Benin, Madagascar, Uganda, and Tanzania. Kusafiri means “to journey” in Swahili. Each participant at a Kusafiri event experiences a ”journey” with leadership, exploring global culture, developing key personal skills, and working with community partners in a particular community to take action on a project whether they are from an African regional country or from one of the other four regions — (Western Hemisphere, Europe, Arab, Asia- Pacific Regions) . This new approach to a World Center gives more girls, young women, and adults in the African region a much more economical and life changing international experience close to home rather than having to travel far across the world. Participants from all the other regions are welcome to attend the Kusafiri events to give the session an international flavor. Major WAGGGS programs instituted at the other World Centers are brought to Africa and highlighted at a Kusafiri Center. Ghana – Session focused on Fun Development and Leadership Development Rwanda – Participants were introduced to the “Stop the Violence” training event Kenya – Session featured Community Action Experience South Africa – The event themed “DELTA” focuses on developing entrepreneurial leaders for the Region. Benin – French Speaking countries came together for “Prepared to Learn, Prepared to Lead” event. Madagascar – hosted a “Arts4Change” event where 69 participants from 13 countries and four WAGGGS regions had a great time participating in many areas of the Arts. Uganda – hosted a leadership program to prepare facilitators for the Juliette Low Seminar and a cultural program to explore the heritage and diversity of Uganda. 147 participants from 42 countries. Kusafiri’s 10th anniversary will have a special treat. A group of amazing people connected to create a Kusafiri World Centre song! Its music, verse and title be debuted during the Campfire session of the World Conference. This Campfire session is open to all. Hope you are going to join the WAGGGS Global Campfire on the WAGGGS YouTube channel on July 31 at 3 p.m. UTC —  9 a.m. Mountain time. For more information go to : Facebook: @kusafiriworldcentre Website: https://www.wagggs.org/en/our-world/world-centres/kusafiri/ Twitter: @kusafiriwc #GirlScouts #WAGGS

Girl Scout Summer Camp is a unique opportunity for Girl Scouts to unplug, rest, get away from it all, and have a grand outdoor adventure. This program brings some of the fun and skill building of camp to this accessible, virtual program. Girls will engage in fun activities and get to know each other over the course of four days. Day 1: Camp Traditions (July 19) Day 2: STEM Day (July 20) Day 3: Arts and Crafts (July 21) Day 4: The Great Indoors—Indoor Camp Out! (July 22) Your registration will include a limited edition GSCO Virtual Summer Camp patch. Date: Monday, July 19 through Thursday, July 22 Time: 2 – 3 pm each day Location: Virtual Registration End Date: Thursday, July 15 Program Levels: Daisy, Brownie, Junior Cost: $5 Questions? Contact MaryKatherine.Thorn@gscolorado.org All participants must have a current Girl Scout membership Click Here to register! #daycamp #Daisy #Brownie #virtual #Junior #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutsontheGo #camp

Daisy Troop 66446 collected pet supplies after the cookie program, and budgeted cookie earnings to purchase wish list items for the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. They donated all items, toured the facility, filled KONG toys with peanut butter for the pups, and cuddled kittens in the nursery. The girls learned about what pets need to be happy and healthy, how the shelter operates, and how they can help homeless pets (without adopting them all!) #communityservice #GirlScoutCookieProgram #HometownHeroes #TakeAction #GirlScouts

On Saturday, June 26, Girl Scouts in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, and Longmont gathered to build their own bee hotels and learn other ways to protect the habitats of Colorado’s most prodigious pollinators: solitary bees! Part of GSCO’s new Gardening Patch Program, building bee hotels is a fun and creative way to spend time outside and take action to benefit wildlife. If you’d like to build your own bee hotel, check out this video: GSCO’s next outdoor meet up will be in July. Come join us and other Girl Scouts in creating some Outdoor Art masterpieces. Craft a windchime to make music using the wind, go on a photographic scavenger hunt, and/or paint using nature as your inspiration. Girl Scouts working on their Outdoor Art badge of any level can apply these activities towards earning their badge! Register here: Denver Outdoor Art Meet Up, Saturday, July 24, 10–11 a.m. Monument Outdoor Art Meet Up, Saturday, July 24, 10–11 a.m. Grand Junction Outdoor Art Meet Up, Saturday, July 31, 10– 11 a.m. Loveland Outdoor Art Meet Up, Saturday, July 31, 10–11 a.m. #Gardeningpatch #NorthernampNortheasternCO #WesternSlope #Gardeningpatchprogram #MetroDenver #GirlScouts #PikesPeak

Teen girls are invited to join female STEM professionals from a variety of academic fields for a two-day citizen science experience at Colorado Mesa University and then in the Grand Mesa National Forest to collect data for two citizen science projects. Girls will collect data for the Colorado Pika Project and NASA GLOBE Observer citizen science projects and, in the process, will complete the Think Like A Citizen Scientist Journey award badge. Here are the details: When: August 13 and 14, 2021 Where: Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, and Grand Mesa National Forest Who: Girls age 13 and older – Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors, Adult Volunteer Chaperones Cost – $5/girl More details and register are available on the GSCO events calendar. #STEMCareerExploration #STEM #oldergirls #WesternCO #CitizenScience

Submitted by Katy H. Highlands Ranch Cadette Troop 62624 in Highlands Ranch recently completed the GSCO Outdoor Skill Patch’s Adventurer Level. It was so much fun and each girl took a topic to learn about and lead us through. We love the outdoors and this was a perfect badge for us to explore over 5 meetings. Each girl signed up to take one or two topics, researched them from the documents provided and presented their knowledge so the rest of us could learn from them. Perfect! On reflection, their favorites were building a shelter and outdoor cooking in a cast iron stove (monkey bread was delicious)! Next steps – the girls have chosen to run the badge steps for younger girls for their PA Internship! 🙂 #outdoors

Submitted by Karen G. Parker After a successful cookie season, Troop 66861 decided to celebrate with a bridging trip to Jellystone. By running-up the ranger tower, the Girl Scouts made an ascension into Cadette. The girls are making memories by enjoying a few days by the pool, racing down waterslides, and cooking s’mores. #bridging

Join us for a very special Girl Scouts Flag Rugby event with Girls Rugby! All participants will get the chance to participate in a two-hour flag rugby event run by our Girls Rugby Coaches. All participants will earn an exclusive Girls Rugby patch and have the most fun learning basic rugby skills and playing exciting games! No experience necessary – girls of all ages and abilities are welcome! The excite https://www.girlsrugbyinc.com/girlscouts/ #rugby

Hello from the Girl Scouts of Colorado History Center in Loveland! As you probably already know, we are a Girl Scout history museum and archival center run by volunteers (see previous GSCO Blog ). The months of May and June in Girl Scouts tend to focus on bridging and preparing for camp. Our next blog will address Girl Scout camping over the years. Brownie level Girl Scouts began in England in 1914 and the name is based on Julia H. Ewing’s book, The Brownies. In English folklore Brownies were gentle, clever, helping fairies who came into people’s homes and discretely did good turns. The toadstool was the Brownie Scouts’ totem and the girls danced, had ceremonies and powwows around it.  The leader was called Brown Owl, and led the girls in games, dues collection (one penny) and activities toward earning their Golden Bar or Golden Hand. Brownie program spread to the United States in 1916 and were called Packs, broken down into groups of six called “sixes”. They were unofficial until about 1918 when they were recognized as “Junior Scouts” or “Brownies” if between the ages of 6 and 10. From 1923 to 2009, Girl Scouts of the USA published The Girl Scout Leader magazine. While it focused on all things Girl Scouts; organization, conventions, training and guidance for troop leaders, it wasn’t until 1930 that a column was added concerning Brownies called “Around the Toadstool.” To view vintage Leader Magazine archives visit http://gsleader.online/ hosted by the Girl Scout History Project. A Leader Magazine article in July ’31 addressed the importance of Brownies “flying up” at age 10 or before the summer that they may turn 10 years old. A ceremony in the Brown Book for Brown Owls, a 1926 early Brownie program guide, is referenced. So why are there wings for bridging from Brownies and why was it called flying up? As said above, Brownie leaders used to be called Brown Owls. When Brownie Girl Scouts moved up to a Girl Scout troop, their Brown Owl would give them one of her feathers so they could “fly” up. Brownie Wings were first used as a symbol of bridging in 1927 and they are still a sign of bridging to this day. Today, bridging (crossing over the bridge to the next level of Girl Scouting) occurs at all levels.  Grade 1 Daisies bridge to Brownies, Grade 3 Brownies bridge to Juniors, Grade 5 Juniors bridge to Cadettes, Grade 8 Cadettes bridge to Seniors, Grade 10 Seniors bridge to Ambassadors, Grade 12 Ambassadors bridge to adults. It is a traditional opportunity for the girls to meet girls at the next level, try some activities at that new level and honor their achievements from the past year. The culminating ceremony is a special way for girls and their families to share these accomplishments. The bridge they “crossover “can be as simple as a piece of cloth to as extreme as crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. And, in 2020 many girls bridged virtually! Bridging awards and patches for having completed requirements encouraging girls to learn about the next level of Scouts have changed a lot since 1935! Below are some that have been retired. Today we have Girl Scout traditions are treasured activities and ceremonies passed down through generations and years (109!) of Scouting. Bridging/Flying up is one of those events that shares the old and the new, through songs, a flag ceremony, a friendship circle, lighting candles, reciting the Promise and Law and the Girl Scout salute and handshake. Perhaps you might want to wear vintage uniforms and/or have a “fashion show” at your next Bridging? The CSGO History Center has a variety of vintage uniforms to lend out. You may also have Girl Scout items to donate to our collection or would like as a troop or individual to learn more about the history of Girl Scouts? Contact the GSCO History Center at: gscohistory@gmail.com #bridging #GirlScoutsofColoradoHistoryCenter #history

Submitted by Meredith Locke Lafayette Northern & Northeastern CO Girl Scout Seniors made a video as part of their MISSION: SISTERHOOD! Journey (https://bit.ly/3gGtfVT). Through this Journey, the Girl Scouts learned many things as they bonded and explored all sides of sisterhood. Their Take Action project was to ask Brownies and themselves through virtual activities what sisterhood is. Watch the video that is the completion of that project. “Sisterhood sets girls up with a lifetime of support, friendship, and bonding. Having someone in your corner and being someone other people can turn to is really important to be successful. In this Journey, we learned all about these bonds and how to facilitate them. Sharing this experience with the girls in our troop brought us closer together and helped us get to know our sisters for life.”- Anonymous Girl Scout Senior We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Journey #seniors #oldergirls #GirlScoutSeniors #NorthernampNortheasternCO #GirlScoutSenior #MissionSisterhood #MissionSisterhoodJourney #Journeys #sisterhood #senior #lafayette