The first Linking Girls to the Land activity was an interagency workshop with 42 Girl Scout professionals, held at Camp Joe Sherman in southern California . Since 1997, the agencies and Girl Scouts of the USA's Elliott Wildlife Values Project have sponsored Regional Linking Girls to the Land Workshops in Florida, Arizona-New Mexico, southern and northern California, Maryland-Virginia, Georgia-Carolinas, Kentucky, New England, Louisiana-Texas-Arkansas, and West Virginia-Ohio. The purpose of these 1-2 day workshops are to link Girl Scout professionals and volunteers to local agency professionals for the purpose of learning how to build partnerships, strategically building projects, "networking," and developing specific local events.  The goal is for Girl Scouts and federal and state natural resource agencies to form joint conservation and outdoor projects on public and Girl Scout lands that enhance the Girl Scout program and also benefit the agencies.

LGTTL Mini-Workshop at Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital

On February 25-27, 2005 Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital held its bi-annual Trainer Conference. Trainers train adults in leadership and program courses. There were 200 attendees from all over the eastern US. A 1.5 hour Linking Girls to the Land mini-workshop was offered so that trainers could get information about LGTTL and share it with their trainees and in most cases, their councils. The panel of agency representatives were Jan Miller, USFWS, Master Educator Trainer Leave No Trace; Sue Hansen, NPS; Sue Cummings, USFS; and Amanda Sass a GSCNC volunteer out door trainer and Master Educator Trainer in Leave No Trace. After viewing the LGTTL video and slide show participants heard first hand about LGTTL from the panel. Enthusiasm for the program was high at the end of the workshop.

LGTTL Workshop at Girl Scout National Kindred Session

The Girl Scout National Kindred Session for Day and Resident Camp Administrators and Directors was held at Girl Scout Camp Wildwood in Florida, February 19-21, 2005. The kindred served 57 camping professionals from 34 councils, potentially affecting the camp experience of over 60,000 girls. Session workshops covered a variety of areas from human resources to recruiting under represented populations through topics like:

• new camp-related resources
• getting the outdoors back into our programs
• "Linking Girls to the Land" incorporating environmental education content into camp programs and property
• risk management sessions specific to your concerns
• property development ideas and tips
• how to assess the true cost of running your program
• creating a positive camp image within our councils
• health, safety and staffing issues unique to our organization.

The evaluations from the sessions were overwhelmingly positive with most anticipating direct impact to their camp programs this summer!

Linking Girls to the Land Regional Workshop in Lewisburg, West Virginia - September 19-21, 2003

With a $5000 grant awarded from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a Linking Girls to the Land Regional Workshop was held September 19-21, 2003 at the Brier Inn and White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in Lewisburg , WV .  Eighteen adult and Senior Girl Scouts learned effective techniques for designing sustainable wildlife and environmental action projects and activities. Agency and GSUSA professionals led group discussions about Linking Girls to the Land and how to get involved. Through an afternoon field trip to the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery, participants learned the importance of USFWS property and programs.  Girl Scouts learned what opportunities exist with agency partners such as the USFWS.  It gave them time to think about how they might be able to work with an agency in their own community.  It provided an excellent example of the Linking Girls to the Land goal for girls to develop conservation projects that would benefit both an agency partner and the Girl Scouts.  The success of the Linking Girls to the Land Workshop is already apparent.  Given less than a month to plan, three Girl Scout councils who attended the workshop submitted Linking Girls to the Land Grant applications for projects to be implemented in the year 2004.  Two were funded.  Other councils in attendance confirmed that they will be submitting grant applications for the 2005 grant cycle. 

Girl Scouts tour the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery.	Participants look through USFWS information as they try to think about ways to collaborate with agencies as partners.

Linking Girls to the Land Mini-Workshop at Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach- November 18, 2003

A 2 hour workshop was offered to Girl Scout councils in Southern California and agency personnel designed to introduce Girl Scout councils to Linking Girls to the Land initiative. Twenty-two representatives from 7 southern California councils attended.  Jodi Stewart, GSUSA's Elliott Wildlife Values Project Consultant, explained the initiative and highlighted opportunities for local participation.  Karen Brown from the Girl Scout Council of the Nations Capitol also offered her successful experience with a Linking Girls to the Land partnership started a few years back that is still ongoing and being replicated nationwide.  Local representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly and National Park Service were given opportunities to share more information about their agencies and programs invite local councils to get involved.  Linking Girls to the Land projects involving these councils are in the planning stages for the following year.

Ora Dixon,USFWS - National Conservation Training Center,
Anne Fege, USFS - Cleveland National Forest and Southern California Girl Scout council representatives think about ways they can work together to form joint conservation projects.

Karen Brown, Volunteer, Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital shares her experience designing a successful Linking Girl to the Land project in Washington, DC called the Eco Expo.

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