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

Project: Pollination Station

Creating a sanctuary for pollinators out of an overgrown and weed-infested garden for her Gold Award project was not just a benefit to the bees and butterflies, but for Harper’s entire community.

She rallied her volunteers from the local Pleasant Ridge Garden Club and Junior Garden Club to weed out non-native and invasive species.  With suggestions and input from the garden club members, Harper selected and placed beneficial plants to take root.

“This garden provides essential pollinators like birds, bees, butterflies, with a safe and sustainable habitat while avoiding harmful chemicals like pesticides,” she explained.

The new, walkable path between the garden beds allows neighbors a space to relax and watch nature.

Making it great to pollinate

Harper led tours to show neighbors and community members around the garden, highlighting the hard restorative work she and her volunteers did on the little plot of land.

“We could see the effects almost immediately as Monarch butterflies and various types of pollinating bees came by to check out the new space,” she said.

In addition to the physical garden, Harper taught children about the importance of pollinators by creating a school curriculum for when they explore the garden. For older garden goers, she developed signage about what plants are growing and how they are useful to humans, animals, and the environment.

The result was so impressive that the local community gardening club will keep the plot growing for years to come.

Learn more!

Harper chats about her Gold Award project on GSSEM’s YouTube channel.

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