Pollinator Garden at Moeckel Pond is Girl Scout Project
Sarah Zachas of Windham earned Girl Scout Gold Award for her work
November 14, 2023
WINDHAM, NH – Without pollinators like bees, butterflies, and some birds and bats, it would not be long before many flowering crops would have difficulty producing foods like apples and pears. Given that prospect, Girl Scout Sarah Zachas took action to provide a garden for pollinators at Moeckel Pond in Windham, earning the highest possible honor for a Girl Scout in grades 9-12, the Gold Award.
Zachas, 17, of Windham’s “Pollinators on the Pond” project took 121 hours over the course of two years, as she designed and planted a 3,500-square-foot garden with about 300 plants, representing about 47 varieties of perennial pollinator plants. Visitors are welcome to walk about or sit in the garden, and can also learn about pollinators through an informational poster and QR codes posted throughout.
“I knew from the Windham Endowment that in this new town recreational area there was an empty space near the parking lot, and they were looking to put in a garden that could make it prettier while also benefiting the pollinators.”
Zachas worked to fund the project through grants and donations from the Windham Garden Club, Windham Endowment, and Monarch Watch, as well as a local outdoor supply. High schoolers needing volunteer hours were encouraged to help plant and water. She also showed a Daisy Girl Scout troop how to plant and explained why pollinators are important.
The past rainy summer was just what Zachas needed to give the garden a good start
“It absolutely helped,” she said. “The plants were huge. We didn’t even have to go in to water that much, which was very helpful, because there were some periods we would have to go over and water every day.”
Zachas said it was worth taking on such a large project, both for the community and for herself.
“I would say one of the most important things I learned about myself would be: one, that I'm capable of starting this big project and seeing it through, because the motivation can sometimes be hard to come by; and also I learned a lot about my leadership skills.”
The project is the capstone to her 13-year Girl Scout experience, which she recommends all Girl Scouts strive for. Over her years in Girl Scouts, Zachas enjoyed camporees with her troop, selling cookies, and traveling to places like Rocking Horse Ranch.
Zachas is an honors student and senior at Windham High School, where she is in the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. She is an accomplished gymnast for her high school team and a club team. She is inspired to learn more about biology and environmental science after creating her pollinator garden, and hopes to study those topics in college.
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Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. They earn college scholarships, demonstrate high educational and career outcomes, and are active in their communities.
Sarah Zachas has answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change, and her Gold Award is a testament to her remarkable dedication to improving her community and the world.
About the Girl Scout Gold Award
- Gold Award Girl Scouts on average spend one to two years on their project.
- A Gold Award project must be sustainable after the girl’s involvement ends.
- The average age of Gold Award Girl Scouts is 17.
- Since 1916, more than 1 million girls have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.
- Gold Award Girl Scouts are entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military.
- University research indicates that noting you are a Gold Award Girl Scout on a college application is influential in the admissions decision-making process.
- Eighteen young women from New Hampshire and Vermont have earned their Gold Award in the 2022-2023 membership year as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.
- The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
