Girl Scout Silver Award Benefits Goleta Depot

Source: Girl Scouts

Katelyn Rode, a Senior Girl Scout with Troop 50886, recently completed her Silver Award project, a butterfly garden at the Goleta Depot. A ninth-grade student at San Marcos High School, Katelyn had been working on the project since Spring 2017, when she met with the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden about appropriate drought-tolerant plants that would attract Monarch butterflies.

Katelyn’s work on the project also included contacting local nurseries to ask for donations of plants, creating a graphic plan for the garden, presenting the garden idea and plan to the Goleta Depot Board of Directors and coordinating a planting day this past November. Katelyn recently added to the project by planting wildflowers and adding mulch to the area. To support the garden, her Girl Scout Troop assisted in packing up Mexican milkweed seeds, which are being sold, along with starter pots, at the Depot to raise funds for the non-profit organization. The has been growing, and will be filled in by the date of Depot Days, to be held August 11 and 12, 2018. 

Katelyn has been a Girl Scout since Kindergarten. In addition to her Silver Award, she also works with local company BigSpeak to package and send 550 boxes of Thanksalot cookies to BigSpeak’s clients. Katelyn also plays piano, as well as trombone, performing with the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony and San Marcos High School Jazz Band. In her spare time, she also takes ballet at Gustafson Dance Studio and is a member of National Charity League, volunteering as a Counselor in Training with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

“I enjoyed working on this project, as I learned great skills, including fundraising. And, I am able to educate the public about the plight of the Monarch butterfly as well as provide a new habitat for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds,” stated Katelyn.

Santa Barbara Troop 50886 is made up of more than 30 girls ranging from grades 6-11. This year the troop will take a river rafting trip, backpack in the Sierras, and start planning an international trip to Belize in addition to community service projects.  Girl Scouts of the USA are 2.7 million strong—1.9 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe girls can change the world. They are the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, the Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.  

The Goleta Depot is a Victorian-styled Southern Pacific Railroad station, built in 1901. The historical landmark and architectural treasure is located at picturesque Lake Los Carneros County park. A local non-profit, the museum features a variety of informative displays, the “Goleta Short-Line” railroad, a model-train display, historical railroad cars and picnic areas. For more information, visit https://goletadepot.wordpress.com/