GSHNJ Girl Scout Troop 60640

How To Make A Rug out of Plastic Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Ami) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 23:10:00 +0000

12/29/20: Interview with Member of the Watershed

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 06:55:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: December 29th, 2020

Interview with Member of the Watershed

After doing a river clean up organized by Cameron, a member of the AmeriCorp Watershed Ambassador program, my partner in this project, and I requested to interview him. In the interview, he spoke about his involvement with the organization and his experiences with watershed cleanups. He explained that the Watershed program was run through three different entities, his being run through AmeriCorp and the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection. His job specifically is data monitoring and collection and he is working alongside the Raritan Headwaters Association in Far Hills, New Jersey. There are 20 watershed ambassadors, one for each of New Jersey's 20 watershed management areas and he is in watershed number eight: North and South Branch Raritan. North and South Branch Raritan also encompasses Hunterdon, Somerset, and a part of Morris County. The Watershed Ambassador program offers free environmental education programs and partners with schools or organizations like Girl Scouts to kind of offer watershed informational sessions, as well as, visual and biological stream assessments, Environmental stewardship training, and partnership projects with other organizations. Some of the challenges the wanted shed encountered include the flooding in the highly developed and densely populated state of New Jersey, and invasive species.

In Cameron's presentation he touched upon invasive species and later went into depth about them. He informed us on different types of invasive species and how they grow very fast and block sunlight, take a vast area of underwater habitat for native species and suffocate the area, leaving little to no oxygen for the native species.

We had a couple specific questions that we wanted to ask Cameron. One question we asked him was what caused him to join the watershed? Cameron had previously been working in the energy industry as an energy consultant and part of his work involved working with the vegetation management unit for electric power companies to prevent forest fires. That is what sparked an interest for Cameron. He also talked about his background in water quality issues. He spent three and a half years in Kenya, when he was in college, working with Engineers Without Borders, installing, helping design, and implementing a kind of monitor water catchment system. Cameron grew more interested in forestry and watershed problems and wanted more first hand experience in repairing forestry.

Another question we had for Cameron was asking what the dirtiest body of water or river that he has cleaned or assessed. He found the dirtiest river he has encountered in the Arthur Kill Watershed. Three rivers that he assessed that day were all very polluted and he found items such as shopping carts, tires, and lots of glass in one of the rivers.

We asked about any suggestions for future water clean ups. He didn't have any specific sites in mind however we were advised not to go into water, to use gloves during our cleanups, and to have supervision. He informed us that we could try using our grabbers or long nets to collect trash floating out in the water if it was close enough. If the trash was too far away, heavy, or submerged under that water, a team would be needed to extract the debris from the water.

Camerons said his favorite part of being in the watershed was, “being on the water, like on the edge of the water, in that transitional zone between land and river.” He disliked staying inside during his previous job. He said he would have to fight in Michigan twice a week, and then sit in a cubicle all weekend, when all he desired was to be outside. Being a Watershed Ambassador fulfilled this desire for Cameron and allowed him to be happy with his career.

Finally, we wondered how being a part of the Watershed community affected his personal life. It doesn't affect his personal life much, besides being busy on the weekends, when most people are free to do clean ups. Overall, Cameron said he was more conscious of how he interacted with the environment around him and how he is impacting his watershed.

12/28/20: Summary of Our Silver Award (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 22:57:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: December 28th, 2020

Summary

There are multiple things I have learned throughout this Take Action Project. One big takeaway is that although it is common knowledge that litter is detrimental to the environment, people will still litter. Whether it was accidental, or because littering was easier to do than find a trash can, there is litter almost everywhere. During this project, my partner and I taught younger Girl Scouts about the effects of littering, at a Service Unit event. We talked with Hillsborough Clean Communities and The Watershed about the environment overall, and about our project. We also joined Hillsborough Clean Communities for their “Littercon” event throughout Hillsborough. Additionally, we took part in a river clean up for The Watershed along with some other Girl Scouts. After that, we contacted the organizer of the river clean up, from The Watershed, via Zoom to explore the effects of pollution and the environment. Overall, from this project, I gained more knowledge about New Jersey and its environment, as well as skills like public speaking, teaching, blogging, and building relationships.

The goal of this Take Action Project was to highlight the significance of taking care of the environment and keeping it clean. There is much more litter in the environment than one may think; however, it is crucial to ensure to refrain from littering as well as to reduce litter. Hopefully, this project will inspire others to keep the environment clean and to always clean up after themselves, especially when they are out. Even the smallest of efforts can make a drastic difference.

10/11/20: Willow Road Complex (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:35:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: October 11th, 2020

Location: Willow Road Complex/ Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Parks Normal Uses:

Basketball court used for basketball

Time Spent: 1.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Plastic bottles
Cigarettes
Food wrappers

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Construction debris
A big overflowing dumpster that was knocked over
A JUUL device

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

People using the Baseball fields
The knocked over, overflowing dumpster
Previous baseball fields

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Bring something to carry the trash bags easier

12/6/20: Skillman Park (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:29:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: December 6th, 2020

Location: Skillman Park/130 Main Blvd, Montgomery, NJ 08558

Parks Normal Uses:

Trail used for:

Walking
Running
Biking

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 2.3 lbs

Time Spent: 1.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Plastic bottles
Food/candy wrappers
A ball

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

A balloon
Bag of fertilizer
Sand bag

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

People using the trails for walking, running, and biking

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Make sure to check the weather

11/17/20: Woodfield Park and Mr. C's Ballfields (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:28:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: November 17th, 2020

Location: Woodfield Park and Mr. C’s Ballfields/154 Beekman Lane, Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Parks Normal Uses:

softball/soccer/tennis
Playground for children to play
Walking trail for walking

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 15.2 lbs

Time Spent: 1 hour

Expected Trash Type:

food wrappers/water bottles
Cigarettes
Plastic bags

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

diapers
Tennis balls
a lighter
Metal debris
Sandbags
Yellow spectator chair (found in the woods)

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

softball/soccer/ tennis practices
People walking on the trail
Children on the playgrounds

Photos:

11/18/20: Montgomery Veterans Park (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:25:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: November 18th, 2020

Location: Montgomery Veterans Park/ 235 Harlington Rd, Montgomery, NJ 08502

Parks Normal Uses:

softball/soccer/basketball
Playground for children to play
Walking trail for walking

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 4.6 lbs

Time Spent: 3 hours

Expected Trash Type:

food wrappers/water bottles
Cigarettes
Plastic bags

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Sports gear (part of a helmet)
Halloween decoration
An envelope, cell phone charger, and a toy

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

softball/soccer/basketball practices
People walking on the trail
Children on the playgrounds

Photos:

12/24/20: Harvey J. Inman Park (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:23:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: December 24th, 2020

Location: Harvey J. Inman Park/ 290 Leupp Lane, Franklin, NJ 08873

Parks Normal Uses:

Tennis courts used for playing tennis
Playground for children to play
Pavilion for parties or to sit
Basketball courts for basketball
Baseball/softball fields

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 16.3 lbs

Time Spent: 2.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Plastic bottles
Food/candy wrappers
Fast food drink cups and food waste

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Glass bottles
Vaping device
Cigars
Clothes
“Goofy String”
Drug product

Compared to the parks in Hillsborough, a lot of the trash was found in clusters. Most of the trash found at Inman Park was found on one side of the park. At least half of the trash we picked up was caught in an area of trees, and other plants. The other half came from all around the park. Not much trash was found near the tennis courts or the playground, although you would expect there to be trash near it since it would be used by the people who visit the park.

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

Parties at the pavilion
Picnics
Children on the playground
People using the basketball/tennis courts and baseball/softball fields

11/14/20: Amsterdam Road (Gunja)

noreply@blogger.com (Gunja) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:21:00 +0000

Name: Gunja

Date: November 14th, 2020

Event: Hillsborough Township LitterCon

Location: Amsterdam Road/ Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Parks Normal Uses:

Road for cars
Walking and running (on the sidewalks)
Softball field and playground (on this road)

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 51.7 lbs

Time Spent: 4 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Plastic bottles
Cigarettes
Food wrappers

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

A whole trash bag filled with empty alcohol bottles
Cigar box
Metal debris
Swimming pool liner

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

Cars driving by on the road
People using the sidewalks
Household garbage/recycling that blew out of their containers (from the neighborhoods nearby)
Parties

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Bring more trash bag so the bags don't overflow

11/27/20: Neighborhood Cleanup (Colleen)

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 21:09:00 +0000

Name: Colleen

Date of Cleanup: November 27th, 2020

Location: My Neighborhood

Normal Uses:

Residential area

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 54 pounds

Time Spent: 1.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Food waste
One-use plastics

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Shoes
Wheels to a wagon

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

Vehicles throwing trash out their windows
Garbage truck blow-aways

Interesting things I noticed:

The closer we got to the road, the dirtier it was.
Despite only covering a short distance, there were over 50 pounds of trash. That is concerning in comparison to other parks, where the entirety of the park’s trash weighed 20-30 pounds.

12/23/20: Summary of Our Silver Award (Colleen)

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 21:08:00 +0000

Name: Colleen

Date: December 23st, 2020

Summary

Throughout all the cleanups, I have learned more about human tendencies: in myself and others. For some, if one way is easier but harmful and the other is difficult but helpful, they will choose the harmful. It is ingrained in society to take the easier path, despite the consequences. During this project, I discovered how much I want society to stop thinking about themselves and focus on the world before it’s too late. It is breaking down and no one has prevented it. There are groups that have gained traction and still are. It is like the snowball effect: it builds upon itself as more and more people join. For example, my partner for this, and I talked with Hillsborough Clean Communities and The Watershed about our project and the environment in general. We joined Hillsborough Clean Communities for their “Littercon” event across Hillsborough. Further, we contributed to a river clean up with fellow Girl Scouts for The Watershed. Later, we contacted someone from The Watershed via zoom to delve into the effects of pollution and the environment. From these encounters I have learned that because New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states, there is an overabundance of pollution/litter. From their point of view, they discovered ways to diminish the environment’s litter intake. It helped us have a deeper understanding of the environment and the effects of littering. In general, I gained skills such as public speaking, blogging, and building relationships.

Our Take Action Project will shed light on the importance of cleaning up the environment. It demonstrates how magnanimous cleaning up the environment is, and it will show how much litter there actually is in the environment. Our Take Action project will, hopefully, encourage others to go outside for an hour or two and pick up garbage. Whether it is your neighborhood or a park, it will not go unnoticed and will have a positive impact on the world.

Tips:

Don’t procrastinate - Some girls in my troop, including myself, waited until the last minute to finish our projects. To limit the stress from the project, I would suggest planning ahead and distributing your time wisely. The more time spent at the start diminishes the worries of not having enough hours completed at the end.
Find something you are passionate about and branch out from it - For example, if you are a zealot in animals, you could do create an adoption website for a nearby animal shelter, etc. The more passionate you are about the project, the less it will feel like a job to accomplish. You shouldn’t feel forced into doing it: you have to want to complete the work.
Reach out - Send emails to the people of the community, or just reach out to other people in general. Getting people involved in your project may spark something in others to continue living in a beneficial way.

12/21/20: Re-evaluating Previous Cleanup Sites and Future Spots

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 21:06:00 +0000

Name: Colleen

Date: December 21st, 2020

After about two months, we went back to two of the parks that we cleaned up: Harold Docherty Memorial Park and Singley Park. We observed that our time spent cleaning up did make an impact. Despite trash reappearing, there was not as much as before. It was manageable. For instance, at Docherty, there were two or three water bottles and a few food wrappers, but other than that, it was clean. At Singley, the metal bench was still in the woods, and there were pieces of trash caught inside a bush in the middle of the park. In general, the parks were mainly clean. I believe that Hillsborough is conscientious of the litter situation, and some people have taken great steps in creating a healthier environment. With that in mind, there are others who continue to nonchalantly throw the trash into the street/wildlife, instead of disposing of it properly.

Then, we scavenged for new sites to clean up in the prolonged future. During the river clean up, we only cleaned half of the site. So, we walked along the path for a while and took note of the plethora of beer bottles and cans. Once the weather is better, we plan on cleaning that up. Further, we went to Otto’s. After hiking around this park for 30 minutes and seeing little to no trash, we deduced that Otto’s is in no need of a cleanup. I plan on seeking out other parks in the future, but at the moment, these are places I have observed.

11/15/20: River Clean-up (Watershed)

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:48:00 +0000

Date: November 15th, 2020

Location: Raritan River Greenway / 1038 Old York Road, Raritan, NJ 08869

Parks Normal Uses:

Hiking
Running
Walking

It’s a trail and a park at the end

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 14 bags collected in total (7 recycling and 7 trash) as well as an entire bike and large tire (no exact amount)

Time Spent: 3 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Water bottles
Plastic wrappers

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Beer bottles/cans
Kitchen knife
Tent

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

Parties (or events involving alcohol)
Someone possibly living in the forest

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Wear durable clothes, not leggings

Thorn bushes may be present, so durability is necessary

Thoughts:

It was more entertaining than the park clean-ups, in my opinion

When we participated in the clean up with people we were not close to, it was somewhat of a bonding experience between us and the younger troop. (Photo shared with permission)

I think the difficult terrain leads to a more interesting cleanup; some enjoyed the challenge of climbing in between bushes and branches to pick up litter. I was one of those people.

Maybe the dangerous aspect of falling into the river or into a bush of thorns

We wished we had a stick with a hook on the end to try to reach items out in the water.

Additional Photos

11/8/20: River Road Park

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:39:00 +0000

Date: November 8th, 2020

Location: River Road Park; Bedminster, NJ

Parks Normal Uses:

Softball
Baseball
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Events/Gatherings
Hikes/Walks/Biking

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 10 pounds

Time Spent: 1 hour

Expected Trash Type:

Softballs
Golf balls
Food waste

Water bottles
Food wrappers

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

From a local cub scout troop, they launched a rocket that got stuck in the trees.
Squash
Milk jug made out of glass
Glove
Bike reflector
Pesticide signs that were broken apart

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

Sports (balls that got lost in the woods)
Someone just left a squash, maybe from a farmer’s market; unsure.
The bike reflector may have come from the trail, which people use to walk/bike/hike/run.

Fell off of a bike

The fields use pesticides to keep the grass green, but the lawn maintenance may run over the signs that caution people about them.

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Decide the route to take before starting
We only completed the fields; go back and complete the hiking trails.

Interesting things I noticed:

It was cleaner than the past fields done in Hillsborough.
I cleaned this after practice with another teammate. The new person added to the experience; they made the cleanup more entertaining, compared to someone affiliated with the troop.

Additional Photos:

11/7/20: Singley Park Clean-up

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:31:00 +0000

Date: November 7th, 2020

Location: Singley Park; 425 Woodfern Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Parks Normal Uses:

Sports

Softball
Soccer

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 30 pounds

Time Spent: 2.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

Sports garbage

Plastic bottles
bar wrappers

Masks

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

Metal bench in the woods
Sandbags (many of them)
Diapers
Golf balls (one was destroyed)

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

The metal bench could have been deemed unused, so it was put into the woods for some reason instead of being taken care of properly.
Sandbags are used to hold down the soccer nets, but they were in the woods, so -- like the bench -- it was thrown into the woods.
The diaper was under a tree, so I guess someone did not feel the need to dispose of it.

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Take drinkable water/food in the cart if longer than an hour because some wanted water very often.

Additional Photos

10/10/20: Docherty Park Clean-up

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 19:52:00 +0000

Date: October 10th, 2020

Location: Harold Docherty Memorial Park, 154 Route 206 South; Hillsborough, NJ

Parks Normal Uses:

Softball
Soccer
Field hockey
Roller rink could be a hangout-out spot where people drink alcohol, etc.

Using a park for alcohol consumption should not be normalized; it is illegal.

Playground
Picnic Area/Shelter

Total Trash Weight (lbs): 28 pounds

Time Spent: 2.5 hours

Expected Trash Type:

food wrappers
water bottles

Found Trash Types (unexpected):

alcohol/vapes
a dozen softballs
a tarp

Where the Litter may be Coming From:

softball/soccer practices
the loading area on the opposite side of the fence
group(s) that meet at the park to smoke/drink

Ideas for Future Cleanups:

Wagon to pull trash
Wear different shoes (durable ones)
Bag(s) for plastics/recyclables and bag(s) for trash

Thoughts:

It was the first clean up, so we did not know what to expect.
Not very difficult; we just walked the perimeter.
The skating rink was the dirtiest aspect of the park: the second being the parking lots.

Additional Photos:

Hillsborough Clean Communities Litter Kit "Unbagging"

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 03:43:00 +0000

Hi! We are Colleen and Gunja from Troop 60640! We are working on our Silver Award project about the environment and the human impact on them. Specifically, we are focusing on litter. As a part of the project, we have involved ourselves in the Hillsborough Clean Communities team. We wanted to share with you what came inside the kit we received from the Hillsborough Clean Communities team to help us clean up around town.

Look for our posts coming soon about our recent cleanups:

- Docherty Park (Hillsborough) on Oct 10, 2020

- Willow Road Park (Hillsborough) on Oct 11, 2020

- Singley Park (Hillsborough) on Nov 7, 2020

- Woodfield Park & Mr C’s Ballfields (Hillsborough) on Nov 7, 2020

- River Road Park (Bedminster) Nov 8, 2020

- LitterCon sponsored by the Hillsborough Clean Communities program on Nov 14, 2020

- Raritan River Cleanup sponsored by Girl Scouts Heart of NJ on Nov 14, 2020 -- https://www.gshnj.org/en/events-repository/2020/take_action_watershe1.html

#htcclittercleanup #kaptaincleanup #bealitterhero #litterhero

Silver Award: Reflect, Share Your Story, and Celebrate - Memory Book Making

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:31:00 +0000

Hi, I’m Meghana G from Troop 60640. My Silver Award Project was to spread awareness about Alzheimer's and other forms of Dementia. I did this by working with an organization called Grace Healthcare Services to create memory books for patients with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. I worked with many other Girl Scouts to create these memory books, and the subject matter of the books ranged from food, to clothes, to wild animals. The books were fun to make, and even though there were some issues with meeting due to the pandemic, I was able to successfully help others understand what Dementia is, and why it is so important to know about.

Mary Ellen Day (From Grace Healthcare Services) and me, in front of all of the books that were worked on!

Breathe Journey videos/poster

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 02:58:00 +0000

As part of the Cadette Breathe Journey, the girls investigated, well, breathing!

For their take action projects, they explored some different aspects of ways to improve breathing, from the dangers of smoking and ways to avoid it, to taking time to "breathe" to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Cookie Sale 2019 Info

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:22:00 +0000

Welcome to our troop page on buying Girl Scout Cookies in Hillsborough, NJ 08844!

Pre-orders are currently being taken through Feb 10th, 2019 with product arriving in mid-March. Booth sales around town will begin in mid-March through mid-April.

Looking for the nearest booth sale to you? Check out the GSHNJ cookie finder:

https://www.gshnj.org/content/gshnj/en/cookies/find-cookies.html

Feel free to email our leaders at gshnj60640@gmail.com to find out if any of our scouts live near you to take your order!

Thanks for supporting Girl Scouts!

Olivia's Bird Feeder Video

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 02:42:00 +0000

Want to make your own bird feeder? Do it yourself thanks to guidance from Troop 60640's own Olivia!

Our Bronze Award Project Summary - BLOOPERS

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 01:54:00 +0000

Some of the girls of Troop 60640 decided to get together to discuss our Bronze Award project supporting displaced local animals. In the course of preparing it they made a few oops moments that they wanted to share too.

Our Bronze Award Summary

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 01:32:00 +0000

Some of the girls from our troop got together to discuss their Bronze Award project. Here's what they had to say:

Our Junior aMuse Journey Speak Out Projects

noreply@blogger.com (GSHNJ Troop 60640) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:31:00 +0000

Our girls completed their Junior aMuse Journey work, culminating in a collaborative creative exercise in sharing their concerns about an issue in sterotyping in the hopes of working towards helping people to no longer stereotype in this way.

While we discussed a few types of stereotypes, the girls voted and wanted to focus on a stereotype that that hit home for them - That those that wear glasses are smarter than those that do not! Some expanded the topic to include how wearing glasses may get you social ostracized too.

Nearly half of our troop wears glasses, so it's something they felt they experienced often and wanted to speak out about.

Some girls chose to write stories. Click here to read them.

Some girls wrote skits and recorded them on video.

Group 1's video

Group 2's video and script

Some girls chose to make posters. See below:

Let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks!

- Troop 60640