GENESEO, Ill. — One local Girl Scout has earned the highest award possible in the organization for her work in introducing composting to her community.
Megan Plumley is a Girl Scout from Geneseo, Illinois, and recently was given the Gold Award for creating a large-scale composting program in the town. She worked with other local troops, the City of Geneseo and the local school district to make it all happen.
"My goal is to educate local groups about the importance of maintaining our environment through composting,” Plumley said in a press release. “Composting can be a great way to give back to the environment and reduce the amount of unhealthy chemicals released into the air. The fertilizer made from this compost bin will go to local greenhouses and community gardens where we are able to provide a healthier environment for people to enjoy.”
Her project started by educating the community about the benefits of composting. From there, she was able to place composting bins in a local neighborhood and out near Cole Cabin, where a lot of local Girl Scouts go camping and put on outdoor programs. Plumley also built bird, bat and owl houses at the same location.
“I want to support younger generations by teaching them the importance of keeping a sustainable environment and disposing of waste properly. There are other ways of disposing food waste than just throwing it away,” she said in the release.
Plumley graduated from high school this May and, fittingly, is currently studying biology in college. She joined The Current on News 8 to talk more about the composting program she started. You can watch her full interview in the above video.
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