Environmental Events

In the spirit of girls making the world a better place, Girl Scouts of the USA invites girls and volunteers to get involved in national environmental events occurring throughout the year. Environmental events enhance the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and journeys by offering opportunities for girls to get outdoors to:

• Discover – a strong sense of self, positive values and understanding of their important role in caring for wildlife, the environment and our Earth's natural resources

• Connect – with others as they explore the natural world and the outdoors

• Take Action – to identify community and environmental needs, positively impact the environment and educate and inspire others to act as stewards of wildlife and our Earth

Please see the 2009 Environmental Events Calendar. The calendar lists over 40 events, Web sites, and conservation history.

GSUSA's Elliott Wildlife Values Project has developed national collaborations with the partners listed below. Girl Scout flyers or brochures can be downloaded. Click on the event Web sites to find useful volunteer guides and tools for educators that help adults facilitate a meaningful leadership development experience for girls as they participate in these events.

April

• Earth Day – April 22 – www.EarthDay.gov and www.EarthDay.net  
• National Environmental Education Week – April 12-18– www.EEweek.org
• Flyer (PDF, 44KB)
• 2009 EE Week Photo Blog Contest

May

• Endangered Species Day – May 15 – www.endangeredspeciesday.org

June

• National Trails Day – June 6 – www.americanhiking.org/ntd.aspx
  • NTD Girl Scout Info
• National Get Outdoors Day – June 13 - www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org
• Great American Backyard Campout – June 27 - www.backyardcampout.org/girlscouts

July

• Wyoming's Wildlife Wonders STUDIO 2B destination – July 18-25 - www.studio2b.org/escape/destinations

September

• National Public Lands Day – September 26 – www.PublicLandsDay.org
• Girl Scout section www.publiclandsday.org/about/partners/girl_scouts.htm
• Flyer (PDF, 108KB)
• Get Involved Guide (PDF, 93KB)
• World Water Monitoring Day – September 18 – www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org
• Brochure (PDF, 1.1MB)

In addition to extending a girls' journey experience, Girl Scouts can earn the Get with the Land Patch by volunteering in environmental events done in collaboration with a federal or state natural resource agency or on federal or state lands. Girls can continue to work on other Girl Scout environmental, outdoor and STEM awards while volunteering.