Scouting for Nature
Scouting for Nature
From animals to nature, Girl Scouts explore Crystal Cove’s programs for earning coveted badges.
This June, an excited group of fifth grade Girl Scouts from Irvine helped CCA test some activities at the new Berns Environmental Study Loop. The girls took a brisk nature walk around the loop, participating in interactive stations designed to help scouts earn
naturalist and animal badges. An older scout from another troop developed the field guide and served as a leader and role model for younger girls on their walk.
“At Crystal Cove, my whole troop and I had loads of fun,” says Olivia, one of the participating Girl Scouts. “On our hike we learned about many common, important and non-invasive plant species like poison oak. We also learned about plants with important healing properties,
and some that could be made into tea! Afterwards we took a quiz to test our plantology skills.”
The girls were also able to listen for bird calls in Moro Canyon using a piece of equipment developed by CCA and a high school student at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, which utilizes an iPhone app. The app allowed girls to view a bird call as a spectrogram on an iPhone,
incorporating technology into their studies to earn an animal habitat badge.
“Overall, I think it was one of the best Girl Scout trips ever!” Olivia says.