Outdoors

Girl Scouts have plenty of opportunities to create their own outdoor adventures and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the out-of-doors—whether with her troop, at camp, or with friends and family.

And that’s great news—because when Girl Scouts get outside, they:

Discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges
Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall
Become team players and care more about protecting our environment
When girls spend quality time outdoors and increase their exposure to nature, they thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually.

Girl Scouts develop the kind of outdoor skills it’s hard to get anywhere else.

GSUSA Outdoors Progression Chart (click to download)

Outdoor Patch Programs & More

Bits of Joy Camp Patch Program

The Bits of Joy Camping Patch celebrates Joy Luinstra, who was the recipient of the CEO’s Excellence Award for being an outstanding Girl Scout alumna, volunteer extraordinaire and community leader. Her longstanding commitment to Girl Scouts began in 1942 while she was still a student herself at Copan High School, and led her first Girl Scout Brownie troop alongside of her sister who led a troop of older girls. Since that time she has been an intricate part of Girl Scouting and has held many positions - troop leader, day camp volunteer, recruiter, cookie cupboard manager, service unit manager, trainer - sharing her knowledge and experience with hundreds of volunteers and girls. Whether it is teaching a girl how to cook on a campfire, plant a garden, make cookies, play games, set the table, sing the Brownie Smile Song, or fighting a wildfire at Camp Wah-Shah-She, Joy Luinstra has been and will always be the epitome of dedication and selfless service to girls and community.

Get Outside! Patch Program

We want Girl Scouts to Get Outside! every season! To earn the season’s Get Outside! patch, complete the number of activities for your level.

Outdoor Program Enrichment

Earn these three Outdoor Awards with your troop!

Experiences in the out-of-doors are unique. They take place where nature flourishes, resources abound, and beauty and wonder are endless, in a setting created for teaching. The out- of-doors provides a place to develop skills, to explore and to discover, to learn to value, protect and preserve our natural resources. It also offers a place to help girls develop a sense of independence and self-reliance. The look of pride in a Girl Scout’s eyes as she surveys a well- built fire, a protected nest of barn swallows, or a wilderness home she created for herself and her troop is easy evidence of the personal growth available in a natural setting.

Girl Scouts State Parks Passport

Find a State Park near you: https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/search#state-park-menu-tabs and/or download the official Oklahoma State Parks app for the perfect mobile guide to over 30 state parks!

Urban Hiking Guide

Urban Hiking (verb): taking a walk through your neighborhood or city with a sense of adventure!

Outdoor Badges

Check out all the Outdoor Badges Girl Scouts has to offer!

Badge Explorer

Girl Scout Tree Promise Patch Program

Girl Scouts is joining forces with the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, American Forests, and SciStarter to launch a bold environmental and conservation initiative in April 2021. Girl Scouts is setting out to plant 5 million trees in five years and to protect and honor new and existing trees. Not only is this great for wildlife, it will mitigate climate change and benefit our communities.

Girl Scouts everywhere are being called to help by planting, protecting, and honoring trees in their backyards, camps, communities, and states—across the country and even across the world. From Daisy through Ambassador Girl Scouts to adult members and partners, every member and friend of the Movement Is being asked to join. Five million trees is A LOT of trees, but TOGETHER we can do it!

girlscouts.org/treepromise

Council Outdoor Events

Our year-round outdoor program offers enrichment experiences to meet girls’ needs. No matter the time of the year, she’ll do more than enjoy camp activities; she’ll join a caring community and learn skills to resolve conflict, accept differences, get along with others and work together to achieve a shared goal.

Many council sponsored events provide girls with experiences in the outdoors and are designed to build their confidence and skills. Trained Outdoor Educators guide girls so they can then continue these activities on their own. Events are structured for girls or troops.