Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Cyrene Blackley as a 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout.

Project: Camp Critter Cottages

My Girl Scout project involved the four local Girl Scout camps and local Girl Scouts of Western New York. I built a number of owl houses and bat houses for each camp. I recognized there were problems with rodents in the cabins and that mosquitoes may carry diseases. I also appreciated that pesticides were not the best answer for camp to get rid of these animal. By building owl houses and bat houses, my goal was to attract natural predators that would eat the mice and mosquito population. I then offered educational sessions for Girl Scouts in Western New York to teach them about ecology and the importance of the predator/prey cycle and how to minimize unwanted populations of animals with their natural predators. This has led to a positive impact on the Girl Scout community as the camps will benefit from owls and bats living in these houses and not in existing buildings and is also provided ongoing education in a fun, creative manner to Girl Scouts all over Western New York.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into “going for the Gold.” A Girl Scout’s project should be something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action that encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills. The project should also fulfill a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global) and create change that has the potential to be on-going or sustainable. Approximately 80 hours of community service are involved in the project. Completion of the Gold Award also qualifies the Girl Scout for special scholarship opportunities and she can enlist in the military at a higher starting pay grade. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award in the world for girls, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers. The Gold Award requires a Girl Scout to identify an issue and investigate it to understand what can be done to address the problem. The girl then forms a team to act as a support system, including a project advisor close to the issue who is not a troop leader or family member, while she leads the project. The Girl Scout creates a plan to ensure they know what steps they must tackle while working on the project. The Girl Scout submits a proposal for her project to her local Girl Scout council. After acceptance, the girl begins to work through the steps of their plan utilizing the assistance of her support team where necessary. Lastly, the project is used to educate and inspire others about the cause they are addressing. For more information on the Gold Award,  click here.