Preparing & Planning

Leaving the troop meeting place? First check the field trips and travel page for safety advice and the parent/caregiver permission form, and then get your Girl Scouts involved in preparing and planning for your next outdoor adventure. Here’s a page of tools to explore as you scroll down.

• Use the Girl Outdoor Readiness Assessment as a planning tool.
• Remind families of the Four Ways Girl Scouts Builds Girl Leaders in the Outdoors and ask them to help.
• Engage the girls in learning about the insects, plants, and wildlife they might see in this great UW Extension guidebook, Outdoor Hazards in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.
• Review outdoor activity planning and resources in the Troop Outdoor Resource Guide.
• Use the Troop Campout Planner with your Girl Scouts in a troop planning session.
• Find inspiration and advice for volunteers and families in the national “Getting Outside” YouTube playlist.
• Discover fun camp hacks in the national “Ultimate Summer Camp Hacks from the Pros” YouTube playlist.
• Get a glimpse of Girl Scout summer camp life in the council “Camp Birch Trails” video and the counselor-produced “Wilderness Trips at Camp Birch Trails” video.
• Teach the 7 principles of Leave No Trace.
• Having a campfire or going camping? Make sure at least one volunteer has completed Outdoor Education training.
• Review the Outdoor Cooking page if your adventure includes outdoor cooking,
• Make a reservation for council camps or buildings from the Council Rental Information page.

Worksheets and Documents

Leave No Trace

Did you know? GSNWGL teaches Leave No Trace principles to our campers! Teach it at the troop level, too. Discover the seven principles of Leave No Trace, and even take the free online courses (adult and child options). Watch this Junior Girl Scout troop use the seven hand signs that help you remember the seven LNT principles, in a video posted by the National Park Service.

Videos