Getting people away from screens and out into nature was the goal of one determined Girl Scout, leading her to create a brand new nature trail in Hopkinton where anyone could get fresh air, exercise, and even learn a bit about local flora while leaving the electronics behind. Emma Rothe is now a Gold Award Girl Scout, earning Girl Scouting’s highest award for making her community a better place.
Rothe, 18, of Hopkinton personally cleared about a third of a mile through the forested land behind the Hopkinton Public Library, and installed informational signs along the trail for her Gold Award project, Hopkinton Nature Walk. The relatively flat trail winds through the forest alongside the Hopkinton Story Walk. The Gold Award is the highest honor available to a Girl Scout in high school, and is the capstone for her Girl Scout service.
“There was no existing trail where I was working,” Rothe said, “so I had to clear it basically from scratch, but I tried my best to pick a route through the forest that would require the least amount of damage to the trees and other forest growth. Most of what I cleared were dead trees or small undergrowth. The signs along the trail each describe a species of local plant life and provide some background information on that species.”
The Hopkinton Recreation Department has agreed to maintain the trail, and Girl Scout troops in the area will also contribute to upkeep, sustaining the project well into the future.
“My trail also has opportunities for additions,” said Rothe, “such as adding more informational signs or adding a bench or two along the trail, and my town will suggest these projects to anyone else looking for a way to benefit the community.”
“Emma’s project is a unique addition to the town,” said Paula Simpkins, of the Hopkinton Recreation Department. “As we see more people engaging in outdoor activities, she combined both the element of exercising and exploring the outdoors along with an added educational component about our natural woodlands here in town. The project was very well done and impressive! I’m sure we will have many residents enjoying and appreciating her project.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic made aspects of carrying out her work difficult, it also had an upside.
“It definitely negatively affected my ability to collaborate with others,” she said, “but luckily I was able to get all of the planning and meetings with the town and recreation department done before COVID-19. Although it added more stress to my schedule, being a high school senior and with everything that was happening with school, graduation, etc., doing online school from home actually gave me some more time to work on the project than I would have had if we still had school in person.”
Rothe’s achievement earning the Gold Award is just one of many. She is the valedictorian for the Class of 2020 at Hopkinton High School, was captain of her Nordic skiing team, and participated in varsity cross country, and track and field all four years of high school.
She’s a lifelong Girl Scout, having started in Daisies, and has made many memories and friends.
“I would say that my favorite part of Girl Scouts has been the friendships and connections I have made with my fellow Girl Scouts,” she said. “We always cooked a meal together at every meeting, which was so much fun. We also loved to get out and do stuff together, and some of my favorite memories are from hiking, going to the beach, participating in town cleanups, and even traveling to Quebec together!”
Along the way, Rothe was building the life skills that will prove useful to her throughout her life. Working on this project continued to strengthen those skills.
“I am very proud of myself for being able to accomplish my Gold Award,” she said. “Prior to my Gold Award, I had never done a project so big or one that impacted the community so much. It was a very empowering feeling to step back and look at what all my hard work built up to, and to see my name on a sign that will stand at my town’s library for years to come. It means a lot to me to have created something that inspires others to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and I have already gotten so many positive comments from people living in town that love the trail! For girls considering earning their Gold Award, I would say: Go for it! It may seem daunting at first, but if you just take it one step at a time, you can eventually create something amazing!”
She hopes more Girl Scouts step up to the challenge of Girl Scouting’s highest awards. “If anyone is thinking about doing a project in their community, but is overwhelmed by how big it seems, don’t worry!” she said. “Start by reaching out to your town, seeing what your community needs, and then plan it out! It may seem impossible, but I am here to tell you that it is very possible if you just take it one step at a time!”
Rothe is currently a freshman St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and hopes to major in chemistry.