Girl Scout Creates Memorable Butterfly Garden
Rachel Swack from Coralville, Iowa, has achieved the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, for developing a butterfly garden for memory care residents at Keystone Senior Living in North Liberty, Iowa.
“Butterfly gardens are found to be very therapeutic. Patients with dementia and Alzheimer's can get stressed out as they start losing their memories,” says Swack. “It can help patients experience calm and comfort, and the familiar sights of butterflies can bring memories of loved ones.”
The Gold Award Girl Scout wanted to bring tranquility to the lives of the 15-17 residents in the memory care unit after learning about the challenges people face with dementia.
“I think that assisted living homes tend to be forgotten about, and I am very passionate about helping them out,” she says. “The butterfly garden will help patients who are super stressed out, and help to ease their day-to-day lives.”
To measure the impact of her garden, Swack put together a pre and post-survey for the facility staff to track residents' moods, including stress, anxiety, and mood changes.
“Overall, there has been less anxiety, stress, and mood changes,” Swack reports.
The staff at Keystone Senior Living and a gardening club will sustain the garden.
Swack graduated from high school in May of 2023 and is now attending the University of Iowa and majoring in creative writing.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.
