US Girl Scouts visit Bermuda to help clean up beach
Members of an international service group for young women worked in the rain to help with a beautification project for a local beach.
More than 70 members of the US Girl Scouts gathered at Somerset Long Bay with guides and environmental groups.
The crew put up with the rain and helped collect trash along the beach and plant trees.
Michelle Simons, a guide with the Bermuda Girl Guides who helped to organise the event, said such activities help young girls stay committed to the environment, explore the world and make new friends.
She added: “The girls worked hard. There wasn’t much trash to pick up but that area is filled with a lot of glass from being a dump previously.
“It’s great to see everyone come out and help.”
The scouts set sail for Bermuda on July 24 aboard Aqua, a Norwegian cruise ship, before reaching the West End the following Monday.
The girls, aged from 8 to 16, arrived at Somerset Long Bay and met local Girl Guides, Brownies, Rainbows, leaders and the Bermuda Girl Guide commissioner.
Members of Keep Bermuda Beautiful, the Bermuda National Trust and the Bermuda Audubon Society led the girls to areas to clean up and plant trees.
They also taught them about the history of the areas in which they worked.
At the end of their trip, the group took a swim in the bay they had helped to clean and enjoyed a picnic, partly supported by Sensational Delights.
The girls also got to explore the island and visited attractions such as the Crystal Caves and Horseshoe Beach before leaving last Wednesday.
They made trades with each other, with tokens of appreciation including Girl Scout cookies and keepsakes called “swaps”, or “Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere”.
Ms Simons said the event marked the Girl Scouts’ third visit to Bermuda and followed a strong history of connection.
She added the Bermudian-based Guiding Sisters may join the US team on a volunteer excursion, similar to an earlier cruise to Alaska when participants served the communities of Sitka and British Columbia’s Victoria.
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