Ellington Resident Honored For Project

ELLINGTON, CT — An Ellington Girl Scout was recognized by State Sen. Jeff Gordon after earning the highest award in Girl Scouting for a conservation project focused on native birds and plants.

Gordon said he recently attended a Girl Scouts bridging ceremony at Arbor Park, where he presented a state citation to Kaitlyn Powers, who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.

According to Gordon, Powers was one of only 26 Girl Scouts in Connecticut this year to earn the honor.

Her project focused on helping conserve native birds and plants at a Northern Connecticut Land Trust property on Webster Road in Ellington. Gordon said Powers planted native perennials along the edges of fields and placed birdhouses throughout the property. Blueprints for the birdhouses were also posted online so others can continue the preservation effort.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut describes the Gold Award as the highest award available to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors. The award is generally pursued by high school-age Girl Scouts and requires a project that addresses a community issue, shows leadership and creates lasting, measurable change.

Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s Gold Award checklist says projects must reflect at least 80 hours of the Girl Scout’s own time and leadership from start to finish.

Powers’ work was done at the Northern Connecticut Land Trust’s Bird Field Conservation Area, a 118.4-acre property on Webster Road at East Porter Road. The land trust describes the property as containing upland forest, brooks, wetlands and hayfields. It also abuts Shenipsit State Forest and includes watershed land connected to Shenipsit Lake Reservoir.

“Congratulations Kaitlyn and to all the Girl Scouts,” Gordon wrote.