Girl Scouts from South Bend’s Troop 30455 will have another distinguished accolade to pin among their vest badges, after the girls created a Riverfront Park cleanup Saturday in honor of Earth Day. 

For their efforts in creating a sustainable project that bettered a community, the scouts will receive the “Silver Award” in June. The award is the highest award achievable by a Cadet and comes in the form of certificate and a silver pin.

Girl Scout Morgan Horvath said she often visits Riverfront Park with her family to use the tennis courts and walk along the Riverfront Trail. But Horvath could not help but notice what others who used the park left behind.

“Seeing the trash is upsetting, because I care about the planet,” Horvath said. “We thought it would be a good idea to cleanup this area and have a good day to just enjoy the park and appreciate how great and pretty the planet is.”

Horvath worked with fellow Girl Scouts Rachel Phelan, of Clay Middle School, and Jillian Gresso, of LaSalle Middle School, to come up with the idea and plan. The scouts reached out to the Niles District Library and Niles History Center as partners for the project.  The Niles organizations helped to run activities and brought several volunteers with them. The city also announced that in honor of the late John Lidecker, the community was invited to participate in “Niles Clean UP Trash Day” in conjunction with the scout’s event.

While cleaning the park was the main feature, those who participated also had the chance to make crafts, join a scavenger hunt and compete to collect the most garbage — the prize for which was a geranium. 

Niles History Center Director Christina Arseneau said the organization was excited for the opportunity to work with the scouts.

“Riverfront Park is one of our natural gems here in the City of Niles,”Arseneau said. “We think it is really important to keep it clean not just today, but for future generations.”

Wearing gloves and armed with trash bags and rakes, more than 20 volunteers spread out over the park to pick up litter.

On the east side of the park, Dowagiac’s Denise Stockwell and her daughter, Olyvia Stockwell, 9, helped to pick up trash.

Stockwell said she heard about the project through the news.

To earn their award the scouts had to plan and design the project with minimal help from troop leaders.

Troop leader Becky Phelan said she was proud to see the scouts take ownership of the project. She added that the scouts frequent the Riverfront Park.

“The park is a bonding place for them,” Phelan said.

With help from the Girl Scouts and Niles partners, the park was cleaned just in time for the Sunday re-dedication of the “Hybrid Form II” sculpture.

The scouts, along with the Niles partners, said they hoped that the event would be a tradition on Earth Day.

After cleaning the park, the girls said they will next aim to achieve the “Gold Award.”

“We thought it would be a fun project,” Stockwell said.

Throughout the afternoon, Girl Scout Gresso said she wanted to work towards leaving the park looking spic and span.

“We are hoping that we get the park all clean and looking nice,” Gresso said, “Like no trash in sight anywhere.”