Chattahoochee Nature Center Hosts Local Girl Scout for Gold Award Project

ROSWELL, GA – Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC), a leading nonprofit dedicated to environmental education and conservation, recently partnered with a local Girl Scout Gold Award candidate to complete an impactful project aimed at improving the visitor experience at the Center. These endeavors not only enhance CNC’s mission but also provide invaluable learning and leadership experiences for scouts.

Emily Grosskamp, from Troop 13409 in Marietta, completed her project aimed at helping visitors to Chattahoochee Nature Center find their way on two specific trails and learn about Georgia Wildlife.

Childhood visits, summers spent at Camp Kingfisher, and seeing her brother complete his Eagle Scout project at CNC forged a special connection with Chattahoochee Nature Center. Working with CNC’s education department, her project showcases five native animal prints painted along the Center’s Wildlife Walk trail where visitors sometimes need help finding their way. She created a document with general information about the five native animals, and visitors can look for and identify the tracks when they go on the Wildlife Walk. The overall objective of the project is to help people more easily find the right trails, and increase their enjoyment of the trail by seeing the prints and learning about native animals. Her project was approved in January 2024, and was completed in summer 2024. She learned how to build a project plan, develop a budget, manage a team, plan for weather delays in painting, and how to meet CNC’s needs for the project.

“We are thrilled to partner with scouts and are grateful for the time and creativity they put into their projects,” said Alicia Thompson, Senior Director of Learning and Engagement. “These projects not only benefit our visitors but also help foster a sense of stewardship among our community’s future leaders.”

The successful completion of a Gold Award project showcases the Scouts’ leadership and commitment to giving back. The project has received positive feedback from visitors who find the prints helpful, and CNC staff are considering future projects that involve wayfinding. Emily shares, “I enjoyed doing the project and learned a lot. I have been a Girl Scout since 1st grade and achieving my Gold Award will be a significant achievement in my Girl Scout journey.” In the fall, Emily will enter her freshman year at Middle Tennessee State University.

For more information about Scout programs at CNC, please visit https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/education/scouts/