Girl Scouts spent year planning, building Lynndale Park trail
Published 3:17 pm Wednesday, June 15, 2016
LYNNWOOD — Four Girl Scouts spent a little over a year researching, planning, designing and, finally, building a new interpretive trail at Lynndale Park.
“This was a really big project,” said Emma Sturgill, who worked on the project with Nina Otebele, Izabela Sanchez Nobles and Kendra Roark.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the mayor is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. The park is at 18927 72nd Ave. W. The public is invited.
All four girls are 13, finishing up the seventh grade at Meadowdale Middle School, and are members of Edmonds-based Girl Scout Cadette Troop 41002.
The girls, with help from other Scouts and adult volunteers, wrapped up the project on June 11. They installed 18 signs to help trail users identify 17 common trees and plants.
“Trees and other native plants are an important part of our environment. When people don’t know about them, they are more likely to cut them down or mistreat them,” Emma said. “By educating our community, we are helping to save trees and plants from destruction.”
Indeed, the signs go well beyond common and Latin names — they include artful illustrations, descriptive information and fun facts.
The girls designed the signs based on their work with project advisor Elliott Gustavson, a horticulturalist and Girl Scout leader with another troop. They arranged for the illustrations from Lake Forest Park artist Cheryl Greene.
Both adults were on hand last weekend to help install the signs.
The Scouts hope to receive their Silver Award because of their work on the project. The Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout can receive.
“A little over a year may not seem like much to you and me,” said Heather Fitzpatrick Sturgill, the troop leader as well as Emma’s mom. But it’s a significant chunk of life for 12- and 13-year-old girls.
“I’m so proud of these girls and their tenacity,” she said.
