Girl Scouts partner with Peabody Mill Environmental Center
Amherst center provides valuable programming for troops
April 16, 2025
AMHERST, NH – The Peabody Mill Environmental Center is an educational resource that is a valuable partner for Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, providing programs that allow Girl Scouts to learn about animals, the environment, the night sky, and more. The council honors the center and thanks them for providing their services to Girl Scouts.
The center is located at 66 Brook Road in Amherst, abutting almost 600 acres of conservation land, operating under Amherst Parks and Recreation. Its mission is to foster awareness, understanding and appreciation of the natural world by offering environmental, conservation, and science programs to all ages. They strive to foster diligent stewardship of the environment so that future generations may inherit and continue to be inspired by the wonders of a protected and natural world, according to its website.
Girl Scouts have participated in programs like A Look at the Night Sky, Who Done It, Animal Detectives and Woodland Shelter Adventures, and earned badge requirements in astronomy, detective work, animals and snowshoeing.
The partnership between Peabody Mill and Girl Scouts has lasted for more than 10 years, said Paula Kelley-Murphy, coordinator of program partnerships and travel for the council.
“As a program partner for many years,” she said, “The Peabody Mill Environmental Center provides an incredible opportunity for Girl Scouts to earn badges related to space, the environment, animals, and detective work by engaging them in hands-on, educational experiences. Whether it's exploring the mysteries of space, understanding the importance of conservation, discovering wildlife, or solving environmental puzzles, the center fosters curiosity, teamwork, and a deeper connection to the world around them."
“We love having the Girl Scouts visit Peabody Mills Environmental Center and teaching them to explore the wonders of nature while learning how to protect and preserve it for generations to come,” said Michele Koltookian, coordinator at the center. “One of our most popular classes, A Look into the Night Sky, is one of my favorites, as I enjoy seeing the girls' reactions when they can look through the telescope and see Saturn's rings or take a closer look at comets crossing the sky. We always conclude A Look in the Night Sky with a brief lesson on triboluminescence (the phenomenon where light is generated by friction). We have the Girl Scouts put a wintergreen Life Saver in their mouth and chomp down quickly; this produces a spark of light in your mouth. We always get a surprise reaction, and they often like competing to see who can produce the biggest spark.”
Over the last four years, 95 Girl Scouts have participated in the center’s Who Done It program, learning to be a crime scene investigator while earning their Detective or Special Agent badges. Fifty-seven Girl Scouts have explored the skies with their A Look at the Night Sky program, and 13 Girl Scouts have enjoyed the Animal Detectives program, where they learn what native New Hampshire animals do in the winter.
“The fingerprinting, mystery powders, and handwriting activities were favorites,” said one participant in Who Done It, giving it five out of five stars.
The council plans to offer the program A Look Into the Night Sky this fall and the Who Done It program in January.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is proud to partner with the Peabody Mill Environmental Center and appreciates their support of Girl Scouting.
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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.
