Girl Scout Silver Award: Homes for Furry Friends

When you have a troop full of animal lovers, you just know their Girl Scout Silver Award is going to involve some paws, claws, or whiskers!

Our Cadettes—Mallory, Ellie, Mackenzie, and Abby—are the ultimate “animal people.” Between their four families, they share their homes with seven cats, two dogs, and a rabbit. So, when it came time to choose a project, they headed straight to the Tree House Wildlife Center in Dow, IL to see how they could help local wildlife in need.

From Research to Power Tools

After visiting the center, the girls realized that injured squirrels and groundhogs needed safe places to recover. But they didn’t just buy some kits; they did the hard work themselves:

The Build: With a little help from a dedicated Girl Scout Dad, the girls mastered the table saw, jig saw, drill, sander, and air nail gun. There was a lot of “measure twice, cut once” happening in that workshop!

The Planning: They sat down, wrote up their proposal, and divvied up responsibilities like pros.

The Science: They researched animal-safe wood and sealers (since they knew their furry friends would definitely try to chew on their new homes!).

Stocking the Shelves

The project wasn’t just about construction. The girls also organized a supply drive at their school, collecting mountains of blankets, newspapers, cleaning supplies, and food to keep the center running smoothly.

Moving Day!

The best part? Installation day. The girls built four squirrel houses and two groundhog houses. They actually got to go inside the enclosures to mount the squirrel houses up high and tuck the groundhog houses into the dirt, filling them with cozy pine needles for nesting.

Looking Toward the “Trifecta”

These scouts come from two different schools, but after five years together, they are sisters. While we’re celebrating this Silver milestone at the All That Glitters Ceremony this April, the girls are already dreaming big.

They are officially eyeing their Gold Award projects with the goal of earning the prestigious Trifecta Award (earning Bronze, Silver, and Gold). Watching them grow from little Daisies into confident leaders who can handle a power saw and a budget has been the highlight of my 12 years as a leader!

Want to support your local shelter?

If your troop is looking to help animals, check out these fun patches to get them started:

My name is Trisha and I am the leader of Troop 797. I was a Girl Scout from 1st through 8th grade. During many of my 12 years as a leader/ co-leader I was a volunteer for 2 troops. Currently, I am the Service Unit Manager and Treasurer of SU 105. I have had these girls since Daisy level and have retained 3 of the 4 this year. The 3 remaining scouts want to receive their Gold Award and 2 will receive the Trifecta Award once completed.