Scout Arrow Completes Project for Chimpanzee Remembrance Garden

This past summer, I met Arrow Swearingen, a dedicated Scout working on her Gold Award at the Project Chimps Remembrance Garden. The Gold Award is the highest honor in Girl Scouting, recognizing girls who complete a project that makes a lasting positive impact on their community. Arrow created an arbor, benches and informative signs for the Garden. Arrow and her enthusiastic helpers, which comprised of Mom, Dad, Sister and a family friend, were well prepared with bug spray and sunshade to construct her vision.

Using the diagrams that our trail committee volunteers have perfected, Arrow pre-labeled and pre-cut much of the lumber, making the assembly of the arbor and benches more efficient.

Arrow also worked in Canva, an online tool for visual design, in order to create the informative signs that would be mounted to trees at the Garden.

The following is an interview I conducted with Arrow.

Q. Tell me a bit about yourself, Arrow. Where are you from, what grade you are in and any hobbies or interests.
A. I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. I’m going into 11th grade, my junior year. Some of my favorite hobbies include playing piano, swimming, and spending time outdoors. I also love math, kind of an odd hobby, but doing any kind of math makes me genuinely happy.

Q. How long have you been a Scout?
A. I’ve been a Girl Scout for 11 years.

Q. How do you benefit from being a Scout and doing service projects like this? In other words, what have you learned?
A. One of the biggest benefits I get from service projects is the difference I’m making. Whether it’s improving a space or impacting people's lives, depending on the project. Along the way, I’ve gained a lot of skills like planning, project management, and communication.

Q. I know it’s a family tradition (your sister did her Gold Award project with us), but what made you interested in Project Chimps?
A. I first learned about Project Chimps through my mom, she told my sister and me about it after seeing it on Facebook. I’ve loved what Project Chimps stands for ever since. Unlike a zoo, the sanctuary is focused entirely on the chimps’ comfort and wellbeing.

Q. How did you think of the idea?
A. I knew I wanted to do my Gold Award at Project Chimps, just like I did my Silver Award there. I got the idea for my Gold Award project after emailing Executive Director Ali Crumpacker to ask what was needed around the sanctuary. When she mentioned the arbor and benches for the Remembrance Garden, I really liked the idea and stuck with it. Later, I added the signs to the project, after speaking with Ali and Lucy, the Events and Education Coordinator, to see what else I could do, to help educate visitors about what the Remembrance Garden is and why it’s meaningful.

Q. How do you think the final product turned out?
A. Although I haven’t finished putting everything into place yet, I absolutely love how the arbor and benches turned out. However, the signs may be my favorite part. They share so much information about the chimps and how they got to where they are now.

Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. In the future, I want to go to college and become a dentist or possibly a job that works with math. I’m still trying to figure it out! 

Arrow’s project not only enhances the physical space but also deepens visitors’ understanding of the sanctuary’s mission. Her work stands as a tribute to compassion, learning, and community service. We are grateful for partnerships with groups such as Scouts to help complete much needed projects on our grounds. Interested in making a difference like Arrow? Learn how Scouts can get involved here! We are happy to work with Scouts and wish Arrow the best with her future endeavors.