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To earn her Gold Award, Licht addressed the issue of preventing the encroachment of invasive species into Candlewood Lake. Her project tackled the Zebra Mussel, which has recently invaded nearby lakes and rivers throughout the Northeast.
She set up monitoring stations called “Zebra Mussel Hotels” with volunteers who helped capture the mussels in Candlewood.
She informed local lakeside communities, marinas and boat owners about ways to properly clean their boats to stop the Zebra mussels.
Because of her project, the Candlewood Lake Authority has agreed to distribute the Zebra Mussel Hotels annually and continue to collect data.
She plans to study biology in college.
Celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, the Gold Award requires a high school age Girl Scout to spend at least 80 hours researching issues, assessing community needs and resources, building a team and making a sustainable impact in the community.
A Gold Award recipient’s accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart as a community leader. Nationally, only 6 percent of Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award.
The Girl Scouts all began more than 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon Low, who believed in the power of one girl. Girl Scouts of Connecticut are now more than 52,000 members strong. They are part of a sisterhood of 2.7 million around the globe.
“Since 1916, approximately 1 million Girl Scouts have made a sustainable impact in their communities,” said Mary Barneby, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut. “We are so thrilled to honor a record number of girls this year and we are excited to see how many more incredible young women will continue to change the world in the next 100 years.”
For more information about the Gold Award or how to become a Gold Award volunteer or mentor, click here .
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