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Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Sonoma Valley Sun
Girl Scout Troop 10406 rolled up their sleeves and dug in the mud to do their part to help Sonoma Scouts plant 100 trees this year. The troop chose to adopt the Bouverie Preserve for this special project and worked closely with their Restoration Ecologist Assistant, Theo Michaels. After closely monitoring the site, learning about seed growth cycles and irrigation, it was time to dig. Each of the eight Cadette and Senior girls in the troop got to plant at least one tree for a grand total of 16 trees including five Valley Oak, five Coast Live Oak, four Oregon Oak and two Buckeye. Pictured, Cadette scouts Sophie Popenoe and Nina Declercq prepare a sapling for the ground.

Julliette Gordon Low would be proud that the organization she built has reached the 100-year mark this month.  Formed in 1912 by Low, this now global organization was created to empower and enrich the lives of girls everywhere with positive leadership, impact and celebration of community.

To celebrate, Girl Scouts of Northern California collaborated and developed a “Take Action” project of planting 100 trees – one tree to represent each year of Girl Scouting.  Each Girl Scout service unit in northern California has a goal of planting 100 trees by March 2012.

Sonoma Girl Scouts have already shattered that goal, planting more than 150 native oaks and fruit trees throughout the Valley.  From the northern reaches of Kenwood all the way to Schellville, on the grounds of both our public and private schools, along our creeks and in our parks and paths, around our churches, our home and hearts, the ever industrious Girl Scouts have helped green Sonoma for themselves and generations to come.

And they’re not done yet.  Even after exceeding the 100-tree goal the girls are still planting and are hoping to have 200 trees in the ground by the March 2012 deadline.

The Girl Scouts have had incredible community partners in this effort including the Sonoma Ecology Center and Sonoma Garden Park, who graciously provided the native Valley oak trees for the project.  Sonoma Garden Park Manager Rebecca Bozzelli provided tools needed for each planting.  Sonoma Valley Girl Scouts also received sponsors and partnership from Whole Foods, The Rotary Club, Sonoma Mission Gardens, Wedekins and Freidman’s for the fruit trees and supplies needed.

Parties interested in having trees planted can call Joyce Carlson, the coordinator of the 100 Years in Scouting Take Action – Tree Planting Project, at 938.2406 or by email at [email protected].

Girl Scout Troop 10063 planted a fruit tree at Rose Mary and Ed Schmidt’s house. Rose Mary was a Girl Scout leader in the Valley for years and then President of the Konocti Council as well. She has been a tireless community volunteer including work with the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Seeds of Learning and several other groups. In a happy coincidence, Troop 10063 leader, Jill Valavanis was one of Rose Mary’s Girls Scouts during her tenure as a leader. Rose Mary, wearing a dark sweater, is pictured with the troop and her newly planted fruit tree.
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