Girl Scouts
have been enjoying the outdoors for more than a century, ever since Juliette
Gordon Low assembled the first troop of girls in 1912. From the start, getting
to know the outdoors through adventure and physical play, exploring the
bountiful world outside our homes and classrooms while restoring the mind and
spirit, and connecting to nature in meaningful ways has been at the core of
Girl Scouting.
We’re all
about having positive experiences, building friendships, making the world a
better place by caring for the environment, and having tons of fun. And the
outdoors is a great place to do all those things! Plus, many of our badge and Journey
activities have connections to the outdoors. What can we say? We looove the fresh air and endless
possibilities that lay beyond the living rooms and windows of our lives. There’s
just so much to explore and learn!
And what
better time than spring and summer to get outside and rejoice in all the
AWESOME the outdoors has to offer? Luckily, June is Great Outdoors Month, and
we’ll be celebrating BIG all month long by highlighting key research around
girls and the outdoors—including the difference regular access to outdoor
activities makes in girls’ lives. We’ll also be talking about cool ways to get
outside and introducing some awesome camping tips in celebration of National
Campout Day. We’ll even have two guest bloggers (both Girl Scout alumnae—yay!)
sharing their love of the outdoors with us.
It’s going
to be a great month, so visit the blog often, and don’t miss out. In the
meantime, check out these great resources to learn more about Girl Scouts and
the outdoors:
- Girl Scouts and the Environment
- Camping
- Girl Scouts want to be Outdoor Explorers
- Spotlight on Badges: Brownies in the Outdoors!
- Girl Scouts Partners with National Park Service to give Girl Scouts Everywhere Access to the Outdoors
And don’t
forget to take a little break from all that technology you’re knee-deep in, get
outside, and enjoy the warmth of spring and summer, and the gift of nature—this
month and every month!