The Girl Scouts of GulfCoast Florida have been on a mission to make the world a better place through action and service, focusing primarily on environmental issues. They have been involved in numerous environmental projects, one specifically being bee conservation.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida have been actively involved in bee conservation efforts focusing on educating the community about the importance of bees and encouraging the planting of pollinator-friendly gardens.

Mary Anne Servian, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, often organizes these environmental projects hoping to empower young individuals, helping them to grow into confident leaders.

“When it comes to bee conservation, our goal is to have people recognize and appreciate our pollinators,” Servian said. “We have our girls set up tables in their communities to raise awareness and address the critical issue of declining bee populations.”

Servian has developed creative and fun materials to spread awareness about such a major issue.

“We have developed educational materials like posters, brochures, and even a kids coloring book,” Servian said. “These things are made to catch the attention of everyone of all ages, ensuring that they are aware of the issues that are going on in our world.”

The girls also created seed paper with Florida-friendly seeds that community members can plant to start their own pollinator gardens. They have dedicated more than 150 hours to bee conservation.

Three members of Bradenton Troop 521 of the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida——Isabel S., Olivia J., and Audrey C.—earned the Silver Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve, for their project, titled “Bee The Change Bradenton,” highlighting their commitment to environmental stewardship and community education.

According to Servian, one major issue leading to declining bee populations is due to pesticide use. Southwest Florida’s extensive agricultural activities often involve the application of various pesticides to combat pests and diseases. While these chemicals are intended to protect crops, they can have unintended detrimental effects on bees.

Renee Stoll, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, has seen an increase in pesticide usage. According to Stoll, there are many effective and non-toxic strategies that will control pests and diseases that don’t harm bees.

“Residents tend to unintentionally contribute to bee deaths, typically spraying their gardens or trash cans with harmful pesticides that can kill bees, sometimes they’re not even aware that they are doing this,” Stoll said. “Some effective practices that we encourage are planting some strong smelling herbs and plants that will naturally repel bees in a safe way like marigolds, basil, or lemon grass.”

Trash cans can often be a party for bees. They often contain soda cans, juice boxes, fruit peels, or candy wrappers. Bees will pick up on the sugary smell from yards away. Trash can odors can mimic natural food sources. Bees may often mistake trash with actual flowers.

“Placing burlap bags on trash cans is also a good way to repel bees, as they don’t like the smell — don’t spray harmful pesticides or chemicals that will kill the bees,” Stoll said.

Additionally, in 2019, a Gold Award Girl Scout named Madison Campbell, initiated the “Bee Aware” project. The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in girl scouts. This project involved educating the community about the importance of bees, selling honey to benefit a local beekeeper, and distributing kits to children to support bee habitats.

Campbell toured nurseries and bee hives and presented her findings at the Downtown Venice Farmers Market. She went around collecting signatures of people who pledged to be a bee advocate.

“As a Girl Scout, selling honey is an incredible way to help both beekeepers and our community,” Campbell said. “It’s not just about raising funds, it’s about educating others on the importance of pollinators and how their work supports our environment.”

Beekeepers face challenges from habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, but they also work tirelessly to ensure that bees have resources to thrive. By purchasing locally sourced honey, these small businesses are directly supported, which are vital for maintaining healthy pollinator populations. Every jar of honey sold contributes to sustaining beekeepers’ livelihoods and the important work they do to protect bees.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

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“I was in environmental science class and we were talking about how bees have become an endangered species and how important they are in our daily lives,” Campbell said. “Bees pollinate over 80% of our crops, so they’re really integral to our society.”

Campbell, who is now in college, reminisces on some of her favorite moments from being a part of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.

“Being able to have the opportunity to take part in something so influential and powerful is an honor,” Campbell said. “I learned so many amazing things and met so many amazing people. I learned the value of hard work, resilience, and the impact that I can make on the world.”

Bees have also made a huge impact on Campbell’s life.

“I just love bees, I think they’re so cute and the fact that they’re so small but yet have such a huge impact on our world is incredible,” Campbell said. “When I was in middle school, I had bee decorations all throughout my room. I wanted everyone to know bees were, and still are, my favorite animal.”

Scouting is an experience that stays with these girls for a lifetime, teaching them valuable lessons like the importance of bee conservation.

“The skills and knowledge our girls gain through projects like this will inspire them to continue protecting our planet and its pollinators long after they’ve earned their badges,” Servian said.

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