Last Updated on September 8, 2019 9:44 am
September 14 brings scouts, sashes and badges to Grandfather Mountain. This will be the 49th year that Girl Scout Day is celebrated at the Linville, N.C., nature park.
This special event allows for all Girl Scouts and troop leaders to be admitted to Grandfather Mountain for free, with their family members receiving discounted admission.
The Girl Scouts were first adopted by Grandfather Mountain in 1971. The Scouts then returned the favor by adopting Grandfather’s late mascot, Mildred the Bear, as an honorary Girl Scout and presenting her with a series of distinctive pins to commemorate her years with the organization.
This, in turn, began the tradition of the girls honing their wilderness skills in the Blue Ridge Mountains and learning more about nature in a fun, hands-on way.
“Grandfather Mountain is the ideal place for the girls to not only meet other Girl Scouts, but to also get outside to enjoy nature and the unique ecosystem featured here at Grandfather,” said Lauren Farrell, the interpretation and education programs coordinator for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park.
Scouts can choose from such activities as a wildlife habitat tour, hikes, peak explorations, live animal encounters and more.
This year’s event is being coordinated in partnership with Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, and the Scouts will have the opportunity to earn the environmental stewardship badge, which is this year’s theme.
The excitement starts at 10:30 a.m., with check-in at the park’s Nature Museum. The event will conclude at 3:30 p.m.
To see the full schedule of events, visit http://bit.ly/gsd-2019-sched.
To register for the special event, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/99FR9SV. For more information on Girl Scout Day, call the Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Office at 828-733-4326, or email lauren@grandfather.com.
The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call 800-468-7325, or plan a trip at www.grandfather.com.
