Lylah Goforth of Girl Scout Troop 2280 in Rutherford County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that focuses on environmental sustainability and helps students learn about butterflies and pollination.
Aiming to create a safe space for butterflies, the Girl Scout Ambassador partnered with Saluda Elementary School for her project, “Planting Pollinator Protection,” to plant a garden at the school and give migrating butterflies a place to grow and thrive.
“Without pollinators like butterflies, our produce would be extremely limited,” said Goforth, a Girl Scout of 11 years. “It is of paramount importance to preserve these fascinating creatures, our livelihoods and the future of our Earth.”
Lylah educated the local second grade students by leading a class discussion and activity about pollinator importance. After the lesson, the Girl Scout and students beautified the garden with hand-painted steppingstones and planted various bulbs and butterfly-friendly plants. She also registered the garden on the North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Butterfly Highway and posted an interactive QR code in the garden to help visitors learn more about pollinators.
Girls in high school can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award by creating
sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each Girl Scout must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out their project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact.
Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont (GSCP2P) council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
“My Gold Award has been incredibly formative in my personal journey and the development of my leadership style,” said the Girl Scout. “I have always been passionate about animals and the environment, and the Gold Award allowed me to translate those interests into a meaningful, tangible project.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2025, 30 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
For more information about local Girl Scouting and leadership
projects like earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.
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