Girl Scouts start Lake County Forest Preserves’ first Junior Ranger program

Thanks to the efforts of two best friends, traipsing through the woods and discovering new wildlife can now result in gaining a title and patch.

Girl Scout cadettes Maggie Kidd of Hawthorn Woods and Aarna Patel of Kildeer and Troop 1897 in Lake Zurich helped create the Lake County Forest Preserves’ new Junior Ranger program.

Maggie and Aarna, both 13, have been in the same scouting troop for six years. They love Girl Scouts not just for the close relationships they’ve formed through it, but for the way it’s helped them give back to the world.

“It was a very easy way to … volunteer throughout the community and make a difference when I was little,” Maggie said.

The girls met in second grade and have been best friends ever since. Described as inseparable by Maggie’s mom and troop leader, Ann Kidd, they are partners in life as well as in their volunteer efforts.

They created the Junior Ranger program to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award. Modeled after programs found in National Parks, it involves a workbook filled with information on the outdoors and fun activities, allowing children to learn about their surroundings while exploring.

The idea formed from the girls’ experiences in various National Parks and forests. They’ve said their goal is to teach kids how to enjoy nature while also respecting it.

“We had noticed that a lot of people didn’t properly behave around the animals,” Aarna said.

Maggie and Aarna knew this issue would fit perfectly for their award. It met all the requirements — it was sustainable, community-focused and would allow them to partner with a community organization. The Silver Award also required each girl to dedicate at least 50 hours to the cause, which was easily surpassed in the two years they worked on it.

“It took a very long time, months of going back and forth with the communications and education teams at the forest preserve to really make sure that everything was accurate,” said Ann Kidd, Maggie’s mom.

The girls’ passion for the safety of wildlife is clear in their detailed work. Aarna is responsible for hand-drawing the patch and some of the illustrations in the workbook, Ann Kidd said.

“I really liked designing it, but I did also enjoy going back and editing it because … it felt really real in those moments,” Maggie said.

The program officially started with a kickoff event on Sept. 7 at Heron Creek Forest Preserve. Roughly 120 people joined to support the girls and receive their Junior Ranger status.

“I am really proud about … how many people we were able to teach … we were expecting a certain amount of people and so many more came,” Aarna said.

The event required a significant amount of fundraising, all collected by the girls.

“They reached out to a bunch of local businesses, they got them to sponsor the event, and make donations that went towards all of the advertising,” Ann Kidd said.

Maggie and Aarna embody the principles of Girl Scouts through their friendship and shared dedication to causes.

“This is an exceptional example of what a Silver Award is supposed to be,” Ann Kidd said.

For more information about the Junior Ranger program, visit https://www.lcfpd.org/things-to-do/education/scout/.