STATEWIDE (April 26, 2023) – Dozens of Girl Scout troops from all around the state offered their time and efforts this past Earth Day to keep Maine green by completing tasks from the Sustainable Maine Patch Program. From raking leaves, to planting trees, to cleaning up trash, and so much more, the Girl Scouts of Maine made sure to spread awareness and leave their mark on the planet this April.

The Sustainable Maine Patch Program offers several ways for Girl Scouts to cultivate awareness and inspire civic action within their home state. Participants not only learn more about how to create a sustainable future for Mainers to live, work, and thrive, but they also gain a deeper connection to their communities by giving back through a variety of meaningful, lasting eco-friendly activities.

Five Ambassadors from Troop 2300 spent the Earth Day participating in a lesser-known sustainability project: collecting unused paint.

“The girls chose the paint recycling part of the GSME patch and researched the statewide PaintCare recycling program that began in October of 2015. They were astonished at how many gallons of paint goes to waste and gets improperly disposed of,” says Troop 2300 Leader, Pam Irish.

Troop 5030 and Troop 5043 aimed their focus on the great outdoors, taking to trash clean up and groundskeeping. While Troop 5043 completed their Take Action project at Lionel Potvin Park in Lewiston, Troop 5030 took the residential route, cleaning up the yard of a local 88-year-old retired nurse.

“Our girls participated in a community service project sponsored by Powerserve to do projects around Windham. The troop was assigned to rake, trim branches and clean up a resident’s yard […] it was hard, dirty, and tough work, but they persevered and stuck with it because they knew they were helping someone who had helped so many others,” says Troop 5030 Leader, Jessica Bridges.

Tree planting was on the docket for Troop 2096 this Earth Day. The multilevel troop from Vienna spent the day planting two lilac trees at the Vienna Town House in pre-approved locations thanks to DigSafe, a free notification center that prevents digging accidents due to unmarked underground facilities.

“The girls brainstormed types of trees and took guidance from professionals at Fieldstone Gardens who offered a hefty discount. Where’s Your Sign donated the plaque, and each girl took a small balsam fir home to plant with their families,” says Troop 2096 Leader, Kirsten Heck.

Girl Scouts of Maine has programs and opportunities for girls ages 5-17 across all 16 counties in Maine. Interested in joining or volunteering? Visit https://www.girlscoutsofmaine.org to learn about a variety of ways you can get involved with Girl Scouts in your community!