On December 3, 2005, Thirty-two Riverland Girl Scouts converged on the refuge on a cold wintry day to finish what they started.  As part of a restoration grant project on the refuge, girl scouts helped re-seed over a ½ mile of a flood control dike with native grasses and forbs. 

Earlier, during the summer months (July of 2005), the flood control dike was topped off with an additional 2 feet of compacted soil material to improve flood protection and prevent damage to water control structures in the event of a major flood.

Before the group participated in the restoration project, the girls worked on earning some badges.  Badge workshops offered opportunities to earn a “Try-Its” badge for the Brownies; and a “Let’s Get Outdoors” badge for the Juniors. 

This was the second visit to the refuge for many the girl scouts who participated in the first half of the restoration project in June (2005).  Both days and the restoration project were made possible through a $3,000 grant initiated by the local Riverland Girl Scout Council in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS.  This project was part of the Linking Girls to the Land program, a partnership between Girl Scouts of America and federal land management agencies.