As members of a local swim team, friends Eleni Brehm, Valerie Hall, Emily Addams and Brianna Thatcher observed a recurring problem.

People using Willowood Swim Club on Bainbridge Street in Elizabethtown weren't doing their best to help the environment.

"We noticed that Willowood had no recycling bins, and all the recyclables went into the trash," Brianna recalled.

All four girls are members of Cadette Girl Scout Troop 71686, so they decided to take action to solve the problem and earn their Silver Award in the process.

"For our project, we made a butterfly garden at Willowood Swim Club to replace the rose bushes close to the public bathroom," said Valerie, who is the daughter of Jeremy and Christine Hall of Mount Joy. "We fundraised by selling bricks that you could put your family or swimmer's name on. We then used the money to get recycling bins for the pool, because we realized that a lot of people bring cans to the pool."

The Girl Scouts began working on the project in April and completed it in August. In addition to selling bricks and creating the garden, the girls came up with a way to involve younger members of the swim club.

"We held a rock painting activity after swim practice one day to teach kids about recycling, plants and pollinators," shared Eleni, the daughter of Matthew and Christine Brehm of Elizabethtown. "We put the painted rocks in the garden for decoration."

The project challenged the girls to push outside their comfort zones and ask people to buy bricks, and it took a physical effort as well to create the garden space. It was all worth it in the end, Emily said, noting, "To me, the most fun part about the project was planting the flowers and watching them grow."

Troop leader Christine Hall was impressed with the girls' dedication to the project and their desire to earn the Silver Award, which is the highest award Girl Scouts in sixth, seventh and eighth grades can earn.

"I am very proud of the girls," she commented. "This was a big project that they worked on all summer long. I think they were all stretched a little bit at times and really learned a lot of important skills. This project was a great way for them to combine their love for swimming and Girl Scouting."

The girls noted that Girl Scouts has offered a variety of opportunities for them. "The thing I love about Girl Scouts most is hanging out with my friends and going on overnight trips," stated Emily, who is the daughter of Bob and Amy Addams of Elizabethtown.

Both Valerie and Eleni said they love that Girl Scouts gives them the chance to get outside, whether they are camping or just spending time together in the woods.

And for Brianna, the daughter of John and Kim Thatcher of Elizabethtown, Girl Scouts has provided a way to making a lasting impact on the world around her.

"My favorite part of Girl Scouts is community service," she said. "I like to help out whenever I can, and doing the Silver Award was great because we made something that's going to last for a long time."