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The Motivation
Thirty years ago,
Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Africa was concerned that 90% of her
forest had been chopped down.
Soil erosion was devastating her
country as a result. The women, whose job it was to look for
firewood for their families, had to search for hours to find mere
branches. Wangari took action. On June 5th, 1977 on World
Environment Day, she planted nine trees in her backyard and
founded the Green Belt Movement whose mission it is to restore
Africa’s forests, put an end to the poverty that deforestation was
causing, and recognize the intimate and fundamental link between the
environment, democracy, and peace. Wangari gathered women from all
over the country and empowered them to plant 30 million trees. In
2004, Wangari won the Nobel Peace Prize for her extraordinary
contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
What’s Coming up
 On Oct. 14-15, 2006 Girl Scouts participated in
tree planting ceremonies in Jennersville PA, Centrefield MD, and
Machipongo, VA, in the
Chesapeake Bay watershed.
If your troop missed out, there are still
opportunities to plant trees, and you can always complete the
patch program. On Oct. 19, 2006, Wangari Maathai
was
honored at Longwood Gardens at the “Water’s Edge Ceremony.”
The Echo
Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay share Wangari’s mission of empowering
girls to become women who are stewards of the environment and stand
for peace and democracy, GSCB is partnering with Future of Life, the
Stroud Water Research Center, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation to give
girls the opportunity to plant the trees. The effort is part of the
Improve Your Footprint program of Future of Life, which is designed
to help young people understand and
 improve the ecological footprint
they are leaving on earth. We will have 5 tree planting
ceremonies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed over 2 days— Sat., Oct.
14th and Sun., Oct. 15th prior to Wangari’s celebration on Oct. 19th
with a goal of planting more than 10,000 trees and involving
hundreds of Girl Scouts.
The Patch Program
In order to provide a well-balanced program experience , GSCB along
with the partnering organizations have developed the “Trees for the
21st Century” patch program following the GSUSA Leadership
Development Program model. Completing the patch program in
conjunction with a tree planting activity, girls will experience all
components of the service learning cycle—Discover, Lead, Take
Action, Girl’s Voice and Reflection.
Patch activities focus on:
- Value of trees
- The story of Wangari Maathai
- Personal empowerment
- Improving your footprint
- Culture & geography of Kenya
- Environmental issues affecting tree health and water quality
Troops who were unable to attend the events organized by Stroud Water
Research on October 14-15, 2006, have the option of organizing their
own tree planting at a later date. Complete patch requirements and
program activity guide are available on pages 161-177 of the council
calendar, or for download
here. Patches for troop planting events at a later date, may be
obtained through the program department. Contact Taunja Limberry, 302-456-7150 ext. 7182,
tlimberry@cbgsc.org.
More
Events!
 If troops in your area weren’t able to participate in the Trees
for the 21st Century planting events on October 14 & 15, it’s not
too late!
Troops are welcome all year long to find other ways to plan their
own tree plantings, view the DVD or
streaming online flash presentation about Wangari, and
earn the Council Service Project patch. We
are keeping patches stocked through the end of the school year,
and troops can purchase them for $2 each from the Camp & Event
Registrar (Taunja Limberry at 302-456-7182 or 800-341-4007), in exchange for
telling us all about their own tree planting project.
Trees for the 21st
Century Planting Opportunity
near Milford, Delaware on March 31 & April 1, 2007
If you missed the Trees for the 21st Century plantings last fall,
here’s another opportunity to participate in our Council Service
Project and earn the beautiful Council patch featuring Nobel Prize
winner Wangari Maathai.
The Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy has invited troops
to help them plant 825 native trees and shrubs in a 32 acre field
at their Milford Neck Preserve on Saturday, March 31 and
Sunday, April 01, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. until approximately 2:00
p.m. The Nature Conservancy’s Milford Neck Preserve is located
approximately 5 miles northeast of Milford in Kent County DE.
This project, funded under a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Delaware
Bay Estuary Project Cooperative Agreement, is designed to restore
38 acres of former farm land to its native forested condition.
This helps the watershed in the area improve its quality which has
a tremendous impact on fish and wildlife.
When you register, you will receive a confirmation packet with
directions and a map of the planting site, as well as instructions
on what to bring, what to wear, and what to expect.
The cost is $2 per girl, and includes a Trees for the 21st Century
Patch. Adults who would like a patch are welcome to pay the $2, as
well. Register by calling Camp & Event Registrar Taunja Limberry at 302-456-7182 or 1-800-341-4007 x7182 with a
credit card, or complete an Event Registration form (WORD|PDF)
and mail it with a check to the Newark Resource Center, 501 S.
College Ave., Newark, DE, 19713. Deadline to register is
Wednesday, March 21. We can accommodate up to 100 people each day,
and parents and older siblings are welcome!
Both the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
www.cbf.org/hotc
and the Stroud Research Center
www.stroudcenter.org regularly publish upcoming planting dates
on their websites and in their newsletters, and are a great
resource for troops or service units that would like to plan their
own tree planting.
If you have any questions, we are here to answer them. Thank you
for your support for Wangari and our environment!
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