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Destination: Sea Turtle Retreat!
Girl Scout Ambassador Mila from Troop 8072 recently went on a Girl Scout Destination called Sea Turtle Retreat, where she traveled to Costa Rica, helping to restore sea turtle habitats and breeding grounds, and helping hatchling turtles reach the sea.
While on this trip, Mila and other Girl Scouts from all over the country would spend evenings patrolling beaches, identifying mother and baby sea turtles and protecting their nests from predators. During the day, they’d work to remove trash and debris from the beach and nearby trails to make it easier for the turtles to access their nesting sites.
Mila said her favorite part was releasing newly hatched sea turtles. “We’d have buckets, you’d count how many came out of the sand and then we released them,” she said. “We’d watch them just scurry across the sand into the water and it was so cute.”
Mila also really enjoyed the instances where a turtle laid her nest in a spot the group had just worked to clean in the previous days. “If we hadn’t gotten rid of all the debris and sticks and picked up all the trash, it wouldn’t have been able to go there. It felt really amazing, like we had a connection with the turtles because they chose your spot.”
Beyond working with the turtles, Mila sampled Costa Rican cuisine, zip lined through a rainforest, and saw plenty of local wildlife.
After her Destination, Mila said traveling to a different country to work with sea turtles boosted her confidence and independence and showed her how connected the world really is. She thinks every Girl Scout who is able should apply to attend a Destination!
