Girl Scouts 


SERVICE PROJECTS


 Girl Scouts have donated many service hours working on much needed garden and grounds work around the Center, and have completed several   meaningful projects, including building new picnic tables, grounds and garden cleanups and invasive species  removal, and   planting flower bulbs.

 We are grateful for the service projects that have been completed by area troops, including:

  • Linna Liaukus - "Silver" project: built 5 Chickadee/Wren boxes and 2 woodpecker/flicker boxes and install them around the property.
  • Girl Scout Daisy Troop #6492 & #6536 (Ringwood, NJ) - re-established a butterfly and pollinator garden
  • Ringwood Girl Scout Service Unit - built 3 picnic tables for the pavilion
  • Girl Scout Troop 96 (Ringwood, NJ)


​​  There are many projects, large and small, just waiting for the right Scouts!  Contact us to schedule service hours or an individual or troop project.

​

What can scouts do at The New Weis Center?

Girl Scout Appreciation Dayis coming up on Saturday, March 28th, 9:30am-3:00pm. We will have badges for all levels, plus a campfire and free refreshments. Details coming soon!

Camping, Facility Rentals, Badges, Service Hours/Projects

Girl Scout Badge Classes


Important Information:

  • Length of Badge Classes:
    • Regular Badge Classes: 2 hours.
    • Journey Programs: 4 hours with a 30 minute break in the middle.
  • Price:
    • Regular Badge Classes: $200 (up to 10 scouts), additional $18/scout over 10, up to 25 scout maximum.
    • Journey Programs: $350 minimum fee (up to 10 scouts), additional $35/scout over 10, 20 scout maximum.
    • Payment is due in full prior to class.
  • Cancellations:
    • Cancellations requested more than 2 weeks in advance will be refunded at the full price, less a $35 processing fee. Refunds are not available with less than 2 weeks notice.
  • Scheduling: All classes are scheduled upon request by the troop(s); you may also partner with another troop if you'd like.
  • Instructors: Badges are taught by our team of trained educators. Click here to learn more about our staff.
  • Time of Year: Many badges can be scheduled year-round, while others are best at certain times of the year. Here's a key to the best times to schedule:
    • Spring =💐, Summer =🌞, Fall=🍁 Winter=☃️


Badges Offered by Rank:

Daisies (K-1st Grade):

  • NEW! Animal Observer: 💐🌞🍁☃️ This badge will allow us to practice our skills in becoming animal observers! During this outdoor adventure, we use all of our senses to learn about animal habitats and behavior as we look for different signs of animal life. Then, we will use all of our new knowledge to record our own scientific animal field notes.
  • NEW! Eco Learner:💐🌞🍁 Learn the important principles for being outside - such as staying safe, respecting wildlife, and respecting the land - and then head out to discover the forest! This badge will help scouts feel comfortable and confident in their outdoor explorations.
  • ​Trail Adventure:💐🌞🍁☃️ Join us for a hike on our private trails, learn safety tips/how to prepare for outdoor adventures, and play outdoor hiking games in the forest!
  • ​Math in Nature:💐🌞🍁☃️ This badge will take us full circle through the natural world! During this outdoor adventure, we will be searching for shapes and patterns within the living and nonliving elements of nature. Then we will use these observations to create various works of art! 
  • NEW! Outdoor Art Maker: 💐🌞🍁 Nature always inspires art, and for this class we will exercise our creative side! We will be creating paintings, music, and finding art that is already created by the forest.
  • Coming soon: Math in Nature
  • Coming soon: Buddy Camper


Brownies (2nd-3rd):

  • Bugs: 💐🌞🍁 We will take a journey into the lives of those tiny critters we all too often ignore - bugs! We will discover fascinating life cycles, behaviors, and adaptations by observing the bugs in action, exploring bug homes, and creating a bug craft. Take your bug field trip to Weis!
  • NEW! Eco Friend: 💐🌞🍁☃️ Calling all Eco Friends! This badge will take us on an easy guided hike where we’ll learn how to find and keep animal homes safe, how to be kind to others while outside, and learn about fire safety.
  • NEW! Outdoor Adventurer: 💐🌞🍁This outdoor adventure will take us to the forest to explore nature and learn how to improve trails, then we’ll head down to one of our campsites to learn to play in a new way with a survival skill game, and close out the day by learning how to prepare a campfire. Join us and become an outdoor adventurer by learning about how to care for the natural world!
  • NEW! Outdoor Art Creator: 💐🌞🍁 For this badge, you will learn how to do different kinds of fun art projects outdoors! We will go on a nature detective walk to use our senses in nature, create natural leaf rubbings, play a nature dance game, see nature in a new way by drawing pictures of what we see, then we’ll build a brownie elf house design with nature!
  • Hiker: 💐🌞🍁☃️ Take your beginners hike at Weis! This badge will teach you how to choose/pack the right gear, how to hike safely while having fun and connecting with nature and a new hiking skill.
  • NEW! Senses: 💐🌞🍁☃️ Discover how all 5 senses work together to experience the world around us. Our journey will include a scavenger hunt, short observation hike with a sit spot listening activity, garden sniffing exploration, create a texture wheel, and finish off with a taste test.


Juniors (4th-5th):

  • Animal Habitats: 💐🌞🍁☃️ Learn about forest animals, where they live, and how they’re all connected! Hike with us on our private trails, look for signs of animal life, and learn about the forest ecosystem and its functions.
  • Gardener: 💐🌞🍁 Calling all gardeners! Scouts will learn a new gardening skill by joining us for some hands-on gardening in our raised bed garden while learning about how food is grown and cared for. Scouts will plant their own plant to bring home and grow!
  • Geocaching: 💐🌞🍁 Take part in this world-wide treasure hunt and learn all about Geocaching! We will create SWAPS and then take to the trails and use GPS to find a cache. We will provide GPS units for the scouts to use.
  • NEW! Junior Detective:💐🌞🍁☃️ This badge will allow us to develop our detective skills as we dive into the world of investigation! We will learn how to use science and observation to look for different types of clues, learn a secret code, and then solve a mystery.
  • Outdoor Art Explorer: 💐🌞🍁☃️ Nature will be our inspiration as we find music in nature, learn to be a nature photographer, and design your own art project.
  • Coming soon: Camper
  • Coming soon: EcoCamper
  • Coming soon: Flowers
  •  JOURNEY PROGRAM: Think Like a Citizen Scientist*💐🌞🍁☃️ (see below)


Cadettes (6th-8th):

  • Eco Trekker: 💐🌞🍁To become Eco Trekkers, Cadettes will prepare for a hike and learn camp skills that have minimal environmental impact for an eco-conscious trek. Learn local native and invasive species as we hike, then scouts will make their own portable camp stove for future expeditions!
  • Night Owl: 💐🌞🍁 Are you ready for a nocturnal creature hike, stargazing, campfire, and nighttime party? Join us for this super fun program while we learn about our world after the sun goes down, with an end of the night celebration!
  • Coming Soon: Public Speaking
  • ​Coming Soon: Trees
  • Coming Soon: Outdoor Art Apprentice
  • JOURNEY PROGRAM: Think Like a Citizen Scientist* 💐🌞🍁☃️


Seniors (9th-10th):

  • Coming soon: Eco Explorer
  • Coming soon: First Aid
  • Coming soon: Trail Adventure


​Ambassadors (11th-12th):

  • Coming soon: Eco Advocate
  • Coming soon: Outdoor Art Master


The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation  |  150 Snake Den Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456  |  973-835-2160

Owned and operated by the Highlands Nature Friends, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

​​​​​​​​​​​

  • ​​​​Private Badge Classes for Daisies(5), Brownies(7), Juniors(5), Seniors(3), & Cadettes(4).
  • Tent Camping in one of our group tent camping areas (Cherry and Maple), each with a firecircle, stocked and covered woodshed, picnic tables, rustic benches and log seating, and access to indoor restrooms.
  • Cabin Camping in our rustic 1-room cabins (each sleeps 2-4), with electricity and options for a heater or fan, for year-round overnight adventures.
  • Facility Rentals in our covered pavilion, picnic grove, recreation field, indoor classrooms, and large multi-purpose room for meetings and events.
  • Seasonal Programs for troop-wide activities, including pumpkin chunkin' in the Fall, and Maple Sugaring in the Winter.
  • Observation Hikes (day or night) led by our Wilderness First Aid certified Naturalists on our private trails. Our 152-acre features a mountain stream, rugged terrain, diverse forest, ruins, and some nice viewpoints.
  • Service hours and projects: we have a range of options for conservation and community service hour requirements (including Bronze, Silver, & Gold Awards).

Even More Programs: