LANESBORO, MN – Girl Scouts from Troop 47985 of Lanesboro were among the many thousands of Girl Scouts across the United States to find adventure in their local state park during the Girl Scouts Love State Parks Weekend July 13-14. Continuing a 107-year tradition of outdoor exploration and leadership, Girl Scouts Love State Parks is a national movement aiming to get all Girl Scouts into their state parks on one weekend.
Troop 47985 was able to use their newly purchased camping equipment. They received a generous donation from the North Start Detachment 943 with the help of Doug Anderson. Using those funds, the scouts put their three tents, four hammocks, Dutch ovens, pudgy pie makers, and other camping essentials to good use at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park.
Girls Scout Juniors, fourth and fifth graders planned, shopped and prepared the meals for the weekend. They started the camping weekend off on the afternoon of Friday, July 12 and made camp before the younger girls arrived on Saturday. The Juniors took the tour of Historic Forestville and learned about this area’s past. Back at camp and using recycling skills, those girls created cardboard box ovens to cook brownies. They ended the evening by singing songs with their Girl Scout sisters.
The next morning, a camping neighbor came over to ask the girls if they were the ones singing the night before. The girls answered, “Yes, we were singing our Girl Scout songs.” The woman smiled, thanked them and said that the girls’ singing had been beautiful and made her weekend.
The 13 members of Troop 47985 and five adult leaders/volunteers participated in the Forestville/Mystery Cave programs lead by the State Park Naturalists. This included a fossil hunt and a tour of Mystery Cave. These activities will help the girls reach some of their goals in earning a variety of badges, but also gives them a deeper understanding of the land that creates our county.
“I liked that we had to find our own fossils. It was kind of adventurous that they weren’t just laying around. Watch for wild parsnip and wasps. Walk on shifting rocks to find one. I was the first one to make that discovery,” stated Gwenevere Lieb, a Girl Scout Junior.
The tour of Mystery Cave was filled with questions for the naturalist, Mike Wubbles. He led the girls through a wonderful experience that was filled with facts of fossils, minerals, cave topography, and animated explanations. The troop thanked him for the tour after they were back at the visitor center by presenting him with two packages of the Girl Scout Thanks-A-Lots cookies and a group hug! Some of the girls asked when they can participate in the tour of parts of the cave that is only lit by lanterns.
Leaders also provided activities for girls to participate in at the campground. What event wouldn’t be better than making some tie dye t-shirts! They also created art using the sun, which proved to be a little tricky due to the wonderful shade created by the trees of the campground in Forestville State Park. The girls were able to use light sensitive paper to create shadow impression of leaves by finding a few spots of bright sunlight. Even though the waters of the South Branch Root River were cold, the Girl Scouts needed to cool down with a little late afternoon splash before heading back for supper, dump cake and s’mores.
Devyn Horihan, one of the youngest Girl Scouts stated, “This is my first time in a tent.” Girl Scout sisters need to share tent space. That night, Lux Holst said to her sisters, “Good night, my sissies!” The bonds of friendship these girls have helps them to create great camping memories.
Sunday morning came too soon for some. Lydia Bjortomt, a Girl Scout Brownie, asked the leaders after breaking camp had begun, “Can we stay another night?” All girls helped with cleaning up the site, hauling water, washing dishes, taking care of garbage or putting away gear. It was a great adventure and the Girl Scouts of Troop 47985 learned new skills.
Outdoor programming has always been an important pillar of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Data shows that 71% of Girl Scout members ages 8-14 tried their first outdoor activity through the organization and 50% would not have had access to outdoor activities and programming if not for Girl Scouts. Through initiatives like Girl Scouts Love State Parks, girls develop a passion for stepping outside their comfort zones, exploring the world around them, and taking action to protect the environment for present and future generations.
To learn more about Girl Scouts and to join, visit GirlScoutsRV.org.
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