Throughout my project, I have worked with so many amazing people, who have helped me to design, discover, and create. Here is a grateful and heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has helped me to succeed in my project, either through generous donations, valuable advice, or much-needed enthusiasm and support.
The Team:
- Jack Linger Explorer Grant
- Thank you so much for the invaluable donation to help to fund my vision for birding trails at Selah Ranch! I am so grateful for your contribution. I couldn’t have done it without you 🙂
- Franklin County Historical Association (Jimmy St. Clair and the Harris and Irene St. Clair Scholarship Committee)
- On behalf of the St. Clair endowment, the Franklin County Historical association has contributed generously to help create the birding trails. A special thanks to Ms. G. Reed for her support!
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- To help contribute to the “nature” side of my nature trails, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has contributed in the creation of a wildflower meadow surrounding the paths!
- B.F. Hicks
- B. F. Hicks, who was awarded the Regional Lone Star Steward award for his conservation efforts in Franklin County, Texas, has given a generous gift towards the creation of the graphic panels for my birding trails.
- K. Lee and R. Morris (Pure Hope Foundation)
- Ms. Lee is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Board member of the Pure Hope Foundation. Mr. Morris is the COO and Executive director of the Pure Hope Foundation. They have helped me so much to plan and envision my birding trails. Without their enthusiastic support of my project, none of this would have been possible.
- Leslie Marx and Jeff Wilcox
- My parents have, of course, been extremely encouraging and crucial in helping me to build, create, and envision. they have been amazing, and I love them very much.
- Donna McFarland and Bob McFarland
- Bobby and Donny are my grandparents, who live near the Pure Hope Foundation in Texas. My grandmother, Donny, has helped in so many awesome ways throughout the entirety of my Gold Award project, that it is likely that I never would have been able to get off the ground without her wonderful support! My grandfather, Bobby, has also help support my project enthusiastically and lovingly.
- L. Walters
- Ms. Walters is my Girl Scout Troop Leader, who has helped to guide me through the steps to envision not only my Girl Scout Gold Award, but also my previous Silver Award and Bronze Awards, which are the second and third highest achievements that a Girl Scout can get.
- F. Cooper
- Ms. Cooper, the Market President at Alliance Bank Mt. Vernon, has contributed greatly through enthusiasm and support of my project.
- L. Pless
- Ms. Pless, a graphic design artist and a friend of my mom, has been essential in helping me to construct the designs of my graphic panels. Her critical eye and edits have caused my panels to look better and better.
- D. Gilbert
- Ms. Gilbert is part of the Girl Scout Gold Award committee, and is also my Girl Scout Gold Award Liaison. She has helped to ensure that my Gold Award project follows the rules of the Girl Scout Gold Award, which has been very helpful.
- P. Tom, L. Crum, B. Johnson, and D. Park (Texas Bluebird Society)
- Ms. Tom and Ms. Park are part of the Texas Bluebird Society, an organization aimed towards the building of nestboxes to maintain and protect, well, bluebirds! Ms. Tom was the President of the Texas Bluebird Society and helped to fact-check and approve my Eastern Bluebird Panel. Ms. Crum and Mr. Johnson are the treasurer of the the Texas Bluebird Society, and they have also helped me with my project. Ms. Park is the editor of Texas Blues, their newletter. She has helped to spread news of my project by including it in an article of the newsletter!
- C. Shackelford
- Mr. Shackelford is the Chief Ornithologist of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He has written a book about hummingbirds in Texas, and has read and approved my Ruby-throated Hummingbird Panel.
- M. Toellner
- Mr. Toellner holds a bird-enthusiast show, where he talks about birds, feeders, and nest boxes, as well as other answers to birdwatching questions. Both myself and my grandparents have been on his show! For my grandparents, they talked about duck boxes and their experiences with raising ducklings, and for me, I talked about my gold award project! Being on his show was an amazing experience, and I appreciate it a lot. You can visit Bird Man Mel’s website here.
- M. White
- Mr. White is the Master Naturalist of North Texas, and has helped me in my project by explaining different types of wildflowers and helping me to decide which ones would be best to buy with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Grant.
- Z. Wootan
- Ms. Wootan is an associate of Native American Seed, which I bought the wildflowers from to grow on the property of the Pure Hope Foundation.
- L. Peters
- Ms. Peters is an associate of Fossil Industries, who has agreed to print out my graphic panels. She has helped me a lot in my creation of my graphic panels to suit their printing.
- V. Powell
- Ms. Powell is an associate of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and has helped me to gain access to photos of birds from the Macaulay library, which focuses on high-quality images of just that: birds!
- J. Houck
- Mr. Houck is a premier disc golf course designer and owner of Houck Design. He created the disc golf courses at Pure Hope Ranch. He has helped me to adjust my trail placements to ensure that they do not interfere with the course.
- D. Lyons
- Ms. Lyons is an Office Depot Store Manager, and has offered to give discounts on the rough draft printouts of my graphic panels.
Thank you all so much. It makes so much of a difference to have your support, and I am so grateful for all of it!