Six girls from Girl Scout Troop 2375 earned bronze medals this month for building a helpful footbridge at The Bird Homestead property on Milton Road.
The girls — Kate MacVicar, Alice Tisdale, Nadia Skumpija, Penny Bourassa, Lauren Parish and Violet Johnston — earned their medals and received their badges and certificates in a ceremony at The Homestead on June 10.
The medal, one of the three highest honors in Girl Scouts, is awarded when troops are able to identify a local need and solve it by making a lasting impact on the community.
The girls, all fourth and fifth graders, chose the project at The Bird Homestead property after learning from troop leader Emily Tisdale that the homestead had a flooding problem between two of its properties.
Tisdale, herself a volunteer at The Bird Homestead, learned of the issue during a visit to the property.
“Aaron Griffiths, one of the stewards of the Homestead, told me about the need for a footbridge between the two sections of the grounds,” she said. “Due to the location, there is a muddy spot that also tends to hold standing water during particular times of the year. A 16-foot bridge over this area could aid in full enjoyment of the historic locale. I presented this opportunity to my troop and they jumped at the chance to help.”
The scouts mapped a plan for the project. First stop was a lesson in engineering taught by the Westchester Children’s Museum. The girls then surveyed the site, taking measurements, drawing up sketches, and settling on a design. With the help of their parents, they bought the necessary supplies with troop funds, which had been earned through cookie sales. Parents Bobby Tisdale and Chris Beardsley aided the girls in building the bridge on site.
The property, which consists of the Meeting House and the historic Bird Homestead, is operated by the non-profit Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy. The Bird family, for whom the property is named, were “diversly passionate men and women,” who made lasting contributions to entomology, paleontology, archaeology, nature illustration, and children’s education. William Voris, whose home and business existed between the Meeting House and The Bird Homestead, was a successful African-American entrepreneur and businessman during pre-civil war America. The Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy’s mission is to “transform these properties into a hands-on center for learning: hosting educational events and providing in-depth coursework in history and the humanities.”
The new bridge will help visitors traverse the property with greater ease.
“We are constantly looking for ways to get the community involved in our mission and create a sense of belonging for every resident,” said Griffiths, of The Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy. “The Girl Scout bridge project is a wonderful example of this type of collaboration.”
