Wakefield Girl Scout Builds 6 Bat Houses For Gold Award

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — A girl scout from Wakefield has earned the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, after she built bat houses for the community and a local camp.

Caroline McGlynn received the award after completing her project "Bat Houses." The project consisted of building six bat houses for the community and Camp Hoffman, a Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England camp in West Kingston.

McGlynn chose her project, because building bat houses give bats a safe and clean place to live, keeping them out of houses, and safe from white nose syndrome. White nose syndrome is a fungus that is rapidly moving across North America, and killing thousands of bats.

"Being a girl scout has given me amazing opportunities to help people and make a difference in my community, it has also given me a chance to befriend so many like-minded women,"McGlynn said. "Girl scouts is one of my longest commitments, and I have loved every minute of it."

"Every project, every cookie sale, every meeting," McGlynn added. "I have learned so much through girl scouts, I have learned how to be a leader, how to manage time, and I have learned how to be compassionate and courageous. Being part of girl scouts has shaped me into who I am today and will continue to affect me for the rest of my life."

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.