Planting Trees for a New Generation at Camp Mahachee
Over the past year, with help from Coral Gables Community Foundation, Coral Gables Garden Club and others, Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida has been restoring the camp’s front entrance, which had become overrun with invasives. After removing non-native plants, Girl Scouts and volunteers planted 1,100 trees in October 2022. See photos
“We continue to be stewards of this incredible property where girls are able to get outdoors safely, see stars at night, hear night noises,” Chelsea Wilkerson, CEO of the Tropical troop, told the City of Coral Gables Commission. “Many of our girls across our jurisdiction don’t have opportunities to be outdoors after dark [but] they can go to a magical place like Camp Mahachee and it opens the world for them.”
In the Spring, Girl Scouts and volunteers came together again to plant and install 300 pollinator plants and butterfly garden, completing our restoration efforts. See photos.
For Girl Scout Cadette, Carly, from Troop 252, she felt it was “really important to keep the area healthy for newer Girl Scouts to see them help the environment and see the progress.” Her troopmate, Sophia, who took part in the October tree planting, said that she “loved seeing how alive and happy the trees look now.
Troop 2212 leader, Kelly Duval, and her husband, Ken, were excited to see the “tangible results of the project” and the “return of native plants.” Meanwhile, Troop 2013 leaders, Donna West and Yudenia Miranda, added that they’re “looking forward to watching vegetation grow and blossom, and returning in 10 years to see mature trees.”
We couldn't be prouder of all the effort and support that was put in for Girl Scouts to enjoy today … and tomorrow.
