Darby Nelson has been traveling throughout Minnesota to speak about his book, For Love of Lakes, and to discuss the problems facing our waterways. Nelson made a special stop on October 13, visiting more than 200 Girl Scouts in Brooklyn Park who participated in Centennial Day of Service.

Nelson learned about Centennial Day of Service during one of his public appearances and he knew he wanted to be involved. As he described it, it made his month to hear about Centennial Day of Service and he could just picture the thousands of hands preventing leaves from entering waterways and turning into phosphorus.

“I couldn’t believe the efforts put forth by the Girl Scouts,” explained Nelson. “All their preventative efforts during Centennial Day of Service are exactly what I have been going around speaking about.”

As he continues his journey to inform people about the dangers of phosphorus in leaves damaging our lakes, Nelson will carry with him the memories of all the girls and volunteers he met during Centennial Day of Service.

“It’s more than just helping the waterways. These girls are learning really important lifelong skills.”

For Troop 52691 from Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, Centennial Day of Service was not only a day to help prevent debris and leaves from entering their local waterways; it also marked the completion of their Silver Award project. Divided into three teams, the troop began their Silver Award journey this summer. Each team planned separate phases of the project with the goal of informing the community about proper water preservation and natural resources conservation.

When asked how the troop’s project impacts their community, troop leader Lisa explained, “In our Wisconsin community we heavily rely on our natural resources, so environmental issues that affect our waters, fish and other wildlife are very important to us.”

One of the first steps of the project was teaming up with the Water Quality Department at the Polk County Fair this summer. The girls created and handed out informational buttons, magnets and flyers to fairgoers.

The next step was planning and hosting a workshop regarding water and natural resources preservation. Hard work and creative planning resulted in a great turn-out for the workshop, which included an opening ceremony, learning stations, speakers, food, door prizes and even the Girl Scout flash mob!

For the final piece to their Silver Award project, the girls participated in Centennial Day of Service in Balsam Lake. After completing their Silver Award, the troop is already planning their next service project. “We have always been a troop truly dedicated to service and we are always looking ahead to our next area to explore,” said Lisa.

Throughout the day, we will be updating this post with news about Centennial Day of Service. Keep refreshing the page to see the newest updates. You can also follow the #CDOS hashtag on Twitter to find news from us and volunteers working today.

Please call 800-845-0787 with any immediate questions. Staff are available from 8 am to 5 pm.

7:13 am — Share Your Story

We are receiving the first posts on our Facebook wall from people getting ready this morning, and we’d love to hear from you too. Post your pictures and stories today, so we can all share the experience. If you tweet or check-in, include the #CDOS hashtag to join the conversation.

9:08 am – First Pictures Coming In

Volunteers are starting to share pictures of their CDOS activities. You can see all of our images as they come in on our Flickr page.

10:31 am – Girl Scouts on the KARE11 Morning Show

Viewers of the KARE11 Morning Show learned about the Centennial Day of Service and the activities of Girl Scouts throughout the council this morning.

11:19 am – Don’t Forget To Report Your Activities

River Valleys is working with our partners at the Freshwater Society to track the impact of today’s activities. Use this form on their site to share what you and your girls did today.

1:37 pm – Morning Activities Wrapping Up

Many of the Centennial Day of Service events are starting to wrap up, but there are still a few ongoing through the afternoon. Still send in pictures to our Facebook page, and watch our Flickr set for new pictures. Make sure to complete your activity report to show the full impact of today’s work.

6:15 pm – Thank You Everyone!

The Centennial Day of Service was a great success! Thank you for all of your hard work and support. Keep watching our Flickr and Facebook feeds to see new pictures as they are updated. Watch our site over the coming days and weeks for details about today’s impact. Put your email address into the field at the top right to have our new blog posts sent to you right as they’re published.

Thank you!

• Centennial Day of Service activities will occur rain or shine, so please be prepared and dress accordingly.
• Call 800-845-0787 with any questions or issues on Saturday. Staff will be available from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. to respond to calls.
• Check GirlScoutsRV.org throughout the day tomorrow for continuous news. You can also follow the #CDOS hashtag on Twitter to see updates from us and volunteers. Use the “Subscribe to GSRV News” box to the top right to have news delivered to your email once it’s published.
• Share your day with us! Post your pictures to River Valleys’ Facebook page with first names and let us know how you’re doing.

Thank you for registering and participating in this event to improve local water quality and make the world a better place. In recognition of your commitment to community, Girl Scouts River Valleys was presented with a Certificate of Commendation signed by Governor Mark Dayton. Click to see a copy of the certificate and find out more.

Want to know how big this event really is? Check out the map to see all the locations where Centennial Day of Service celebrations are taking place. 

Did you know that Centennial Day of Service is connected to our core Girl Scout program? By participating, you’ll make a difference and fulfill Girl Scout program requirements at the same time. Learn more.

The commendation reads:

This certificate is presented to the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys in recognition of 100 years of service and commitment to community. Their commitment will lower phosphorus level in Minnesota’s rivers and lakes, making Minnesota a better place to live and work.

Therefore, with the appreciation and respect of the people of Minnesota, this certificate is presented in recognition of the Girl Scout 2012 Take Action: Centennial Day of Service.

Thank you Governor Dayton for recognizing Girl Scouts River Valleys!

It’s Easy to Sign Up

All you have to do is call River Valleys at 800-845-0787 or 651-227-8835 Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm, and we’ll handle the rest.

The largest take action project in River Valleys history, Centennial Day of Service will be a historic event. Girl Scouts, volunteers and alumnae from all over the council will participate by:

• removing grass and leaves from public spaces
• distributing door hangers to educate the public
• marking storm drains to warn citizens against dumping debris in them

You Did It! Let’s Celebrate.

After the hard work is done, join Girl Scouts in your community to relax and celebrate. Check out our map and find a Centennial Day of Service celebration near you.

With your participation and support on October 13, Girl Scouts will make a real difference to the environment by keeping local waterways clear, and fish and aquatic wildlife healthy.

Registration officially closes on October 5, so take action now by calling 800-845-0787 or sign up online. Enjoy an October day outside and do something big!

Have you heard about Sunny, the Sunfish? Take a photo of her in a place you love, and add it to our Facebook wall.

The weather was gorgeous, and volunteers helped lead hundreds of Girl Scouts in water quality activities, one of four steps required to earn the Centennial Day of Service Patch. Girls participated in several activities including learning about water careers, making a water filter, and pledging to fight against pollution to make a difference in their communities.

Each site offered something unique: Girls could go on a hayride, pick apples, explore a corn maze or pumpkin patch, and even make their own scarecrows.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and everyone who came out and showed their support for the upcoming Centennial Day of Service. Be sure to register and take action with the Girl Scouts on October 13!

Leaves + water = algae = dead fish

Leaves, grass and pet waste release phosphorus into our lakes and rivers, which feeds algae. When this kind of organic debris isn’t bagged and properly composted, it runs through storm drains and directly into our waterways, turning our clear water green. This depletes the oxygen in the water and makes it hard for fish and other wildlife to survive.

By cleaning up on October 13, Girl Scouts will remove 20,000 pounds of phosphorus, preventing 10 million pounds of algae growth and saving $6 million in cleanup costs.

Did you know?

• Just three percent of the water on earth is fresh water. That means if all the water on earth equaled 100 drops, only three of them would be fresh enough to use.
• The surface of a city block can generate five times more polluted runoff than a wooded area of the same size.
• Storm drains are not connected to water treatment systems. Anything that enters a storm drain flows untreated into the nearest waterway (including the lakes and rivers where you swim and fish).

Want to learn more? Watch this video, created by Freshwater Society and Friends of the Minnesota Valley.

Take action in your community! Join us for Centennial Day of Service on October 13. It’s free to register and participate.

For more information, contact your local Centennial Take Action Project service unit coordinator or visit River Valleys’ Centennial Day of Service information.

For the past three years, River Valleys’ Take Action Project theme has been Forever Green. Girls have learned about science through environmentally-focused projects. This year, the focus is to improve water resource conservation and protection.

With the leadership, support and participation of our Girl Scouts, alumnae, volunteers and local communities, we are confident we will reach these goals:

• 54,000 participants (36,000 girls and 18,000 adults)
• Remove 20,000 pounds of phosphorus
• Prevent 10 million pounds of algae growth
• Save $6 million in clean-up costs

Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate!

Each service unit across River Valleys’ 49-county area will organize and implement the Centennial Day of Service with members of their community. Through this highly-visible project, Girl Scouts will have the opportunity to make their local communities and the world a better place. Registration for Centennial Day of Service will be in conjunction with early-bird membership registration, which opens April 2. More details on registering for this event will be available soon.

Complete the Water Quality Troop Activities for your program grade level.

The Centennial Day of Service is more than just cleaning up leaves. It’s an opportunity to learn the importance of water quality, to protect and restore local water resources, and to raise community awareness. If your troop is not working on water quality activities, don’t delay. It’s a requirement for earning the Centennial Day of Service patch, which also is a requirement for earning the 100th Anniversary patch.