For nine days in June, Girl Scout Troop 30482 will strive to rescue endangered leatherback turtles and renew their troop bond in Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands.
“[The trip is] a combination of going for fun and doing volunteer work. We are currently trying to get in contact with a group that tries to help the leatherback turtles. [The group] is protecting the nesting beaches of the leatherback turtles. Sometimes they have to move the nests because they are not in a location where the turtles will thrive,” co-troop leader Kendra Owen said.
The troop also plans to explore the island in an effort to help expand the girls’ worldview.
“The best part about going on trips like this is that not only do you get to connect with your fellow Girl Scouts, but with people of a different race, culture and country.  World travel is truly eye opening to the culture and socioeconomic situations of people outside our own community,” senior Ariel Thompson said.
Through hard work and careful planning, the group was able to turn a seemingly unreachable goal into a reality.
“Paying for these trips involved a great deal of dedication…Anything from selling as many Girl Scout cookies as we can to car washes, bake sales, and saving up our own money we make from outside jobs,” senior Miranda Rubin said.
“The one thing that I hope these girls have learned through this whole experience is that hard work pays off. I have always tried to instill hard work,” Owen said.
The troop includes seniors Lindsey Allor, Miranda Rubin, Bridget Owen, Ariel Thompson, Rebecca Babcock, Alyssa Pfannenstiel, Erin Gallagher, junior Nikki Randsen, and troop leaders Owen and Michelle Pfannenstiel. However, co-leader Pfannenstiel will not being attending the trip and Rubin’s mother will go in place of her.