Local Girl Scout Earns Second Place at STEMapalooza for Hermit Crab Conservation Project

Lithia, FL – Girl Scout Cadette Anabelle, a member of Troop 33521, earned Second Place at the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida STEMapalooza competition for her interactive exhibit, "Daffy's Great Adventure to a Healthy Habitat," a Silver Award project dedicated to protecting hermit crabs and educating the community about Florida's coastal ecosystems.

While many beachgoers collect seashells as souvenirs, Anabelle hopes to change that mindset by teaching one simple but powerful message:

"A shell on the beach is a home, not a souvenir."

Her exhibit explained how hermit crabs rely on empty snail shells for protection throughout their lives. When shells are removed from Florida's beaches, hermit crabs lose their homes and are often forced to use unsafe objects like bottle caps or plastic debris, putting their survival at risk.

Visitors to her display learned about hermit crab habitats, diets, life cycles, shell exchanges, and the important role these fascinating creatures play in keeping beaches clean and healthy. One of the exhibit's biggest attractions was Daffy, Anabelle's own pet hermit crab, whose playful personality helped spark conversations with children and adults throughout the event.

Although Anabelle was nervous before the event and admitted public speaking wasn't one of her strengths, she pushed through her fears. Rather than trying to teach every fact she had researched, she focused on helping each visitor leave with one important lesson about hermit crabs.

That approach proved successful.

Throughout the day, children gathered around her display asking questions, learning about marine conservation, and meeting Daffy. Even after the event officially ended and exhibitors had packed up, Anabelle was still answering questions from young visitors who didn't want to leave.

Her passion and dedication earned her Second Place overall and an interview recognizing her accomplishment.

But for Anabelle, STEMapalooza is only the beginning.

As part of her Silver Award, she is expanding "Daffy's Great Adventure to a Healthy Habitat" into a long-term community education initiative. Her goals include:

• Creating educational signs encouraging beach visitors to leave shells where they belong
• Partnering with the Caladesi Island Ferry to share hermit crab conservation messages with passengers traveling to one of Florida's most beautiful beaches
• Organizing shell conservation and beach cleanup education
• Adding a hermit crab education book and hands-on activities to permanent Education Boxes that Troop 33521 will donate to local elementary schools and libraries
• Inspiring children to become lifelong environmental stewards through interactive learning

These Education Boxes will be donated to Bevis Elementary, FishHawk Creek Elementary, Lithia Springs Elementary, Pinecrest Elementary, Stowers Elementary, and local public libraries, creating a sustainable resource that educators can use for years to come.

Anabelle's journey to this project wasn't without challenges. After moving away from Florida due to military life, she returned and had to begin an entirely new Silver Award project from scratch. Despite the setback, she quickly transformed her love of marine life into a meaningful conservation effort that's already making an impact throughout the community.

"Watching Anabelle grow has been incredible," said Troop Leader Melissa Sharma. "She arrived at STEMapalooza nervous about speaking to strangers, but by the end of the day she was confidently sharing her knowledge with anyone who stopped by. Seeing children stay after the event just to keep talking with her showed how much her passion inspired others."

Girl Scout Troop 33521 believes lasting change begins with education, and Anabelle's project demonstrates that sometimes changing the world starts with helping one person learn one new thing.

As she often reminds visitors:

"Every shell has a story—and it might already be someone's home."