Year of Green Living

Created by GSNEO’s own Nicole Fiorelli.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Be proactive and lessen your carbon footprint. Complete six of the nine activities to earn your participation patch.

Girl Scouts of all ages have a long-standing commitment to their communities, their health, and their environment. Get active with GSNEO and participate in our Council’s Year of Healthy Living, Year of Service, and Year of Green Living patch programs. Complete 6 of 9 options for each of the patch programs.

Patch Program Update!

We no longer require you to complete a reporting form, it’s ‘on my honor’ participation! Purchase your patches for all Girl participants in the GSNEO shop.

September - Reuse It! toggle arrow

Go to three second hand store or garage sales. Walk around the stores and make a list of twenty different reused items being sold at these stores. Think of additional items that could be reused.

October - Preserve It! toggle arrow

Gather a group of friends and volunteer to pick up litter at a local beach, park, or nature area. Spend an hour or two cleaning up trash. Encourage other to keep the Earth clean.

November - Repurpose It! toggle arrow

Donate your old clothing, books, or toys to a secondhand store or local charity. Try to donate at least a bag full of items. Keep your items from reaching the landfill and reduce your footprint.

December - Save It! toggle arrow

Count the number of plastic bags you use when you go to the grocery store. Calculate the average number of plastic bags you use in a year. The next time you go to the store, use reusable bags. Think about how much plastic you will save from going in the landfill!

January - Conserve It! toggle arrow

Spend an evening free of electricity! Turn off your television. Do not use your phone, computer, or any other electronic device. Instead, try playing board games with your family, reading a book, or drawing pictures.

February - Research It! toggle arrow

Think of ten different modes of transportation (car, limo, bicycle, etc.). Try to order these modes of transportation by their “greenness,” how large or little their carbon footprints are. Research the carbon footprints after you complete your initial list to see if your guesses were correct.

March - Condense It! toggle arrow

For one week, record the length of your showers. Are your showers five minutes, ten minutes, or fifteen minutes long? Calculate how many gallons of water you use when you take a shower. For the next week, try to reduce the time of your shower by two minutes.

April - Hike It! toggle arrow

Love the planet. Go on two hikes at local parks and spend the day with nature. Keep track of the plants and animals you see. When you are near a computer, research endangered plants and animals near you.

May - Upcycle It! toggle arrow

Make an upcycled craft. Use three items you would normally throw away or recycle (candy wrappers, pop cans, plastic bottles, etc.) and make a piece of art with these objects. Your piece of art can be a poster, a sculpture, a piece of jewelry, or anything else you can think of.