SEFFNER, Fla. — There’s a Girl Scout right here in Tampa Bay who’s taking her passion for saving the environment and spreading it to farmers across the state and beyond. This month she was recognized with the Girl Scouts’ highest honor.
“Composting is really important to me because waste, especially food waste, is something that people just think disappears but in reality, food waste and typically waste that we throw away, becomes someone else’s burden and ultimately the earth’s unfortunately,” said 18-year-old Summer.
WATCH Girl Scout spreads passion for composting
Summer says, it’s one thing for a Girl Scout to compost in her own backyard, it’s a whole different endeavor when you’re trying to reach farmers across the entire state.
“A lot of the time we are almost fearful, like if I’m this younger girl reaching out to a big organization,n are they really going to listen, are they really going to care about my issue, are they going to understand it from my perspective,” said Summer.
However, Summer’s dedication, knowledge and enthusiasm for composting did not go unnoticed.
Agricultural and farm broadcasting stations were eager to work with her.
“And I was able to use radio messaging to really target farm workers on a larger scale,” said Summer. “They could really make the most impact with the amount of food waste they generate and the amount of food waste that they can recycle.”
From Interviews to PSAs, Summer’s voice could be heard on more than 100 stations in four different states, including Florida.
“I think it’s a really good moment of reflection in the sense of like, ‘wow I was really able to make people think differently about an issue and raise awareness to something that they can tackle and solve on their own,’” said Summer.
Summer is now working with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County in hopes of spreading her mission to individual households right here in her hometown.
“We do offer composting classes once a month, and because of her visibility, people are going to hear about composting and they are going to hopefully connect that with Hillsborough County extension,” said Lynn Barber, with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County.
In total, Summer has invested more than 100 hours of work on this project. This month she was honored by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida as a Gold Award recipient. She was one of 31 Girl Scouts in total from West Central Florida to receive the award.
“Summer has just blown me away with the research and heart that she has brought to this project,” said Jillian Painter, with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. “She has taken something that has been really meaningful to her and broken it down in such a way that she has made the world a better place.”
Each year, only about five percent of Girl Scouts nationwide receive the award. Summer hopes to be an inspiration to others.
“It really shows that younger girls can really make a lasting impact and continue to be innovators from now and into the future,” said Summer.
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