The Junior Girl Scouts of Troop 71348 in Manheim Township, all students at Landis Run Intermediate School, have earned their Bronze Award. The girls will receive their pins at a special tea and awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 18.

"The Bronze Service Award was a big project," said troop leader Michelle McGlauflin. "It'(requires) 20 hours per girl of community service, and it had to fit in (a specific) category." McGlauflin said the girls chose to focus on the award category of "Making the World a Better Place," and she explained that the project had to continue to give, so the girls could not just spend 20 hours working in a soup kitchen.

Troop members knew of Raven Ridge Wildlife Center (RRWC), an animal rehabilitation organization located in Washington Boro, from a presentation they had seen at a vacation bible school, and they decided to complete a project there, tackling the requirements from a number of angles. According to McGlauflin, the effort began with a tour of Raven Ridge. Working with an RRWC representative, the girls chose an area where they could create a peaceful and mask-free resting area for volunteers.

The completed area included painted rocks, a bench, and hanging flowerpots. "We collected rocks at Raven Ridge, so we wouldn't bring in outside bacteria," said McGlauflin, who reported that 100 rocks were collected; washed; painted with animals, stars, and positive messages; and sealed. The group also built birdhouses and made hanging planters out of clay, working to discover the right amount of clay to be sure the planters were neither too light nor too heavy. The troop members also built a bench from a kit with minimal adult help.

In addition to creating the resting space, the troop members asked neighborhood families to collect newspaper for a month to give to RRWC and then encouraged the families to continue donating newspaper there when the collection ended.

The troop funded the work it did at RRWC by selling 4,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in local stores and restaurants in the spring.

Troop 71348 members who completed the project and will receive the award are Jorja and Rayna Weaver, Jayla and Jenna Hector, Chloe Eshleman, Mirranda McGlauflin, and Emma Wilczynski.

The troop is part of the Caper Hill Service Unit. Readers who would like more information about joining the troop may email mirrandasmom@gmail.com.