Every year on April 22nd, known as Earth Day, people around the world take action to celebrate our planet. It’s a passion of Girl Scouts far and wide to be kind to the environment and help the Earth through both small and large actions.
That’s why Girl Scouts have pledged to take action against climate change by planting, protecting, and honoring trees. The goal? Completing 5 million actions for our planet. That might seem like a very big goal, but when we plant seeds of thought with friends and family, those thoughts can turn into actions and inspire more people to plant seeds of thought in their communities. With help from the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, American Forests, and The Arbor Day Foundation, Girl Scouts across the globe have already planted over 100 thousand trees, and we’re still going strong!
When you unlock the Girl Scout Tree Promise patch, you’ll learn how to use resources wisely and make the world better, starting in your own neighborhood. In this program, you can choose which activities you want to do to show the planet some love. After taking the pledge, you can pick how you’d like to fulfill your promise.
To plant trees: Organize a planting event with your troop or friends with help from an adult. You’ll need to plan your event and get enough supplies for everyone attending. This includes seedlings or small trees, mulch, shovels, and probably some snacks to keep everyone’s energy up! Once you plant your trees, you’ll set up a schedule to water them and clean up any surrounding debris so they can grow healthy and strong. For more about planting trees, click here.
To protect trees: Raise awareness about the importance of trees or consider how you might use your cookie earnings to improve areas around the trees in your neighborhood or local park. You might decide to research and help remove invasive species which can hurt trees or simply start watering the existing trees in your area. For more ideas to protect trees, click here.
To honor trees: Read more about all trees do for us and then spread the word. Many cultures use trees in celebrations or special ceremonies. Learn about those traditions and share them with your community. For more ideas to honor trees, click here.
Access virtual resources to see how even small actions can sprout into something even greater. Along with tracking your impact, you can access trees online, protect trees virtually, and watch videos to see how small actions make a big impact.
Together, we have a chance to impact the wellbeing of our planet and create a ripple effect of positive change that will be felt by generations to come. The power is in your hands. Ready, set, plant! Be sure to show us your progress by tagging @GirlScouts and using #GirlScoutTreePromise.