Girl Scouts Take UCSB
Girl Scouts “Earth Science Day Event” was held at UCSB last Friday
With cookie season over and summer vacation in full swing, the Girl Scouts of the Central Coast Council show no signs of slowing down. On June 28, scouts K-12 went to the group’s first UCSB’s Earth Science Day near the university’s iconic lagoon. About 87 girls spent much of the day getting “exposure to different aspects of the natural sciences and different career possibilities,” said program manager Dana Richards during a phone interview.
Along with their obligatory sashes and vests, scouts donned comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes to safely navigate the day’s activities. Troops spent half their time in the Earth Science department examining fossils, rocks, and minerals — and the other half of their day in the Research Experience & Education Facility, aka the “REEF,” learning about marine wildlife in the Santa Barbara Channel.
The REEF, although unassuming on the exterior, houses an eclectic array of sea creatures in tanks ranging “from two to 2,000 gallons,” the facility’s website states. Kids giggled at the wriggly sea cucumbers and delicately held starfish as big as their faces.
Richards was happy to report the first-time event was a success. Other programs on this month’s calendar include white water rafting, archery, and a week-long Channel Islands expedition. Price points for the events run the spectrum, so every Girl Scout can keep herself busy this summer and live up to the organization’s mission of building “courage, confidence, and character.”
More information about the Central Coast Girl Scouts can be found here. For REEF hours, availability, and scheduling, click here.
