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Welcome Helen Wronski to Tropical!

Please join us as we welcome Ms. Helen Wronski to Tropical Florida!

We are thrilled to announce the creation of the Coral Gables Community Foundation patch for Camp Mahachee campers made possible after the Foundation awarded the Girl Scouts with a $5,000 grant. Foundation Board Members John O'Rourke and Scott Poulin and Executive Director Mary Snow presented the special patches to the girls at Camp Mahachee this afternoon!

THANK YOU for your amazing support of our girls!

Top Reasons Why Girls Should Get Outdoors

JOIN NOW: www.girlscoutsfl.org/JOIN

We want to hear from YOU!

Tell us about your experience with Girl Scouts this year!

This spring, Girl Scouts of the USA is introducing a new survey called “Girl Scout Voices Count.”

There will be versions for girls, parents, and volunteers—so we can get an idea of what the year was like for everyone.

Here’s what you need to know:

Girls: Your chance to tell us about your experience starts May 11. To participate, you need to sign up for the Girl Scout Voices survey panel. If you are 13 or older, you can sign yourself up here: www.GirlScoutVoices.org! If you are 12 or younger, ask your parents to sign you up.

Parents: Look for an email that tells you how to sign your daughter up for the Girl Scout Voices survey panel. We also want to hear from you and will be inviting you to participate in a parent/guardian survey starting June 1.

Volunteers: Your opportunity to give feedback will begin June 1. In a few weeks, we’ll be sending you an invitation to participate via email, but you can also keep an eye on our social media feeds for information on when to participate.

We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Got questions? Can’t find the email with the survey invitation? Feel free to get in touch with us at GSVoicesCount@girlscouts.org.

Girl Scout, Justine Padron, is the Eco-hero winner!!

CONGRATS to our very own Girl Scout, Justine Padron, who was selected by WPLG Local 10 as the Eco Hero!! She will be going to the Canadian Rockies with Zoo Miami Ron Magill. 

See full video here

University of Miami Biologists Host 50 South Florida Girl Scouts for Naturalist Badge Day Activities

College of Arts & Sciences Ph.D. Student in Biology Allie Graham Inspires Young Girls to Explore the Fun in Science through Educational Event on Bugs and Flowers

Coral Gables, Fla. (April 9, 2015) – More than 50 South Florida Girl Scouts spent an educational morning at the University of Miami on April 4, when Ph.D. student in Biology Allie Graham organized Naturalist Badge Day.

Graham – a biology Ph.D. student in the College of Arts & Sciences – created a curriculum on Bugs for local Brownies (second and third graders), and a unit on Flowers for Juniors (fourth and fifth graders).

Ultra-organized and energetic, Graham was a Girl Scout for more than 10 years, eventually earning a Silver Award for her accomplishments in scouting, her community and her personal life.

“My experience in Girl Scouts was so important to me. I wanted to give back,” she said. 

In addition to planning interactive and educational activities, Graham recruited several faculty members and graduate students from theDepartment of Biology to share their expertise with the Scouts.

Director of Programs for the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida Lori Ross said, “The students who helped Allie run the program were great with the girls and so effective in ensuring the girls learned in a safe, fun and encouraging atmosphere.”

Professor of Biology Carol Horvitz – an international authority on plant ecology – worked with the Juniors on their Flower Badges. They explored UM’s Gifford Arboretum to gather specimens and investigate floral properties such as scent and color. They then visited a lab to create corsages and make their own perfume.

“Spending the morning in our living tree collection with the Girl Scouts was a delight,” Horvitz said. “They discovered the diversity of scents, colors, forms and functions of flowers as we had planned, but they did not stop with the planned lesson. Their natural curiosity took over as they explored on their own, collecting seed pods, big leaves, small leaves and marveling at the fibers and saps produced by the trees.”

For their Bug Badges, the Brownies examined different bug species under a microscope, made bug masks and learned how insects are used in research to answer biological questions.

Ross said, “I am so grateful to Allie and her team of volunteers for developing and implementing this program. The program was so well organized, and Allie made certain that the activities were fun, hands on and educational.”

Graham said, “We had so many girls come up to us, telling us how much fun they had, and how wonderful the event was. I know I left campus feeling like I had really accomplished something; hopefully it got the girls interested in insects and plants, even if just a little.”

She added that another goal of the event is to humanize scientists for the Scouts. “Scientists are real people. I try and portray myself as a scientist, but also as a regular person. You don’t have to be a genius – you just have to have the enthusiasm.”

www.as.miami.edu

Photo caption: Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida Brownies and Juniors enjoy Naturalist Badge Day at the University of Miami on April 4.