Congratulations, Emmerson, on earning your Gold Award! GSSEM is proud of you and your dedication to making a positive impact on your community and beyond.

Project: Tree Planting for Clean Water

With her mom as her environmentally conscious troop leader, the fruit did not fall far from the proverbial tree when Emmerson decided on her Gold Award project.

Emmerson and her team of volunteers planted 1,140 trees in four parks around the Flint area to function as filters to keep litter and sediment from reaching rivers and beyond.

“Trees are really beneficial for our watershed system,” Emmerson said. “They are crucial to keeping natural water systems clean.”

Setting down roots

She promoted community-wide plantings along the banks of a river, ponds, and wetlands in parks, where she would educate the volunteers on what they were doing and it’s impact on the environment.

Emmerson also visited multiple elementary classrooms, where she had the students make a craft using branches, leaves, and yarn to show the various parts of trees.

“Most people see trees as good because they understand that they produce oxygen and give us shade, but they don’t always realize that tree’s roots are able to filter natural nutrients and pollutants out of the water,” she explained.

By educating as many people as possible about the benefits of keeping the environment clean through trees, Emmerson is ensuring future generations will take good care of the planet.

Learn more!

Emmerson chats about her Gold Award project on GSSEM’s YouTube channel, and on WJRT ABC 12 Good Morning Mid-Michigan with Matt Barbour!

Find out more about Girl Scout Highest Awards on our website at www.gssem.org/highestawards.