Overview
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is excited to partner with the Girl Scouts Councils of Massachusetts to provide exclusive opportunities for Girl Scouts and their families! Programs are specifically tailored to assist Girl Scouts with earning their Eco Friend Brownie badge and the Eco Camper Junior Badge and other nature based badges. These programs are specially designed for Girl Scouts, but Girl Scouts are welcome to participate in any state program at any state park statewide. To help plan your visit and for helpful links please visit here! To register and for program descriptions please see the program listing below. Please be aware programs do have capacity limits and are noted in the description.
Remember to wear your Girl Scouts uniform, sash, or other apparel to be specially welcomed at DCR properties during the weekend!
For more information or questions please call Hilary Treat, Manager of Statewide Initiatives at (617) 626-4966.
We look forward to seeing you in the parks!
- Things to know before you go:
- All children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Be season smart and safe. Dress for the weather by wearing sturdy footgear and dressing in layers for maximum comfort.
- Carry drinking water and snacks.
- Have a map and cell phone.
- Seasonal weather such as heavy rains and storms affect parks and trails. All events, programs and activities are subject to change. Please take a moment to call ahead to confirm.
Eastern Massachusetts
Halibut Point State Park, 4 Gott Avenue, Rockport, MA
September 12th, 2026 11:30am-12:30pm
Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt
Guided Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt with clues/directions. Learn about Halibut Point State Park--and visit trails in the park you've never seen before! Join us for this exploration around our park and make sure to bring plenty of drinking water, sunblock, and appropriate hiking shoes (no sandals). At the end, you'll find a secretly hidden Treasure Box! This program accommodates 30 visitors and is intended for Daisy and Brownie groups. This program is led by Park Interpreter Mary Pyburn and will begin at the Halibut Point State Park Visitor Center. Please visit Find Activities| Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) for registration and more details.
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 131 Waquoit Highway, East Falmouth, MA
September 12th, 2026 1pm-3pm
Estuary Exploration and Art
Explore the bay with us as we will use dipnets and a sein net to catch critters in the Estuary. Learn what lives here and how the estuary is a nursery for many animals. Please wear or bring shoes that can get wet, Crocs are great, since we will be wading in the bay. Then we will finish the afternoon with making estuary art with recycled bottle caps. This program accommodates 30 scouts, 30 adults, and will be led by Jayne DiCandio. Please meet at the Waquoit Bay Reserve Visitor Center for the start of the program. There is around .25 miles of walking and is for kindergarten ages and up. Please visit Find Activities| Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) for registration and more details.
Fall River Heritage State Park, Capt. Thomas Hudner Memorial Bldg. 100 Davol St, Fall River, MA
September 12th, 2026 11am-2pm
GSLSP Weekend & Patch
Join GSSNE, Massachusetts DCR, & The Trustees Mobile Adventures at Fall River Heritage State Park for Girl Scouts love State Park Weekend 2026! Check in and out with GSSNE staff anytime in the visitor center between 11am to 2pm to receive your activity sheet and GSLSP Weekend Patch. Girl Scouts, no matter their council (friends & families) have options to participate in activities with the Trustee Mobile Adventure Staff, park staff, and self-led discovery! This event is rain or shine, and the activities and patch are included for free! This program accommodates 50 scouts, 25 adults, and will be led by Cassandra Simpson. GSSNE. Parking available at 1 Central St., Fall River. All ages and levels welcome, please bring a hat, comfortable shoes, and other weather appropriate gear. Please visit GSLSP Weekend 2026-Fall River Heritage State Park to register and for more details.
Borderland State Park, 259 Massapoag Avenue, North Easton
September 12th, 2026 10-11am
Explore Nature: By the Pond
Have you ever wondered what lives in the ponds at Borderland State Park? Join park staff in a hands-on activity that explores who calls our ponds home. We will use nets to dig through leaves and sediment to see who we find! .25 mile walk to pond. This program accommodates 20 total people. Meet Maeve Staab, Park Interpreter, at the Visitor Center. Park in the Main Lot. This program is intended for grades 4 and up. Please bring shoes and clothes that can get wet/mucky. Please visit Find Activities| Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) to register and for more details. In case of inclement weather, call ahead at 508-238-6566 or email at borderland.park@mass.gov to ensure program is still happening.
September 13th, 2026 11-11:30am
Kids Mansion Tour
What would it have been like to live in the Ames Mansion as a kid? Step back in time on this 30-minute, first floor tour of the Ames Mansion. 0.25mi down to mansion on flat, carriage road. This program accommodates 20 total people. Meet Maeve Staab, Park Interpreter, at Ames Mansion, park in Main Lot. This program is intended for grade 3 and up. Please visit Find Activities| Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) to register and for more details.
Maudslay State Park, 74 Curzon Mill Road, Newburyport
September 13th, 2026 2-4pm
STEM
Thanks to the generous support of Applied Materials, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) is bringing hands-on mobile STEM programming (STEM ON-THE-GO) to Maudslay State Park. Join us for an exciting ecology adventure as we explore the natural world around us! Examine the skulls, scat, and tracks of native Massachusetts wildlife, take a closer look at plants and insects under a microscope, or use our handheld microscopes to investigate the park's ecosystem. Open to all ages and families, this is a free drop-in program. Stop by anytime during the event and participate at your own pace. Stop by and meet staff anytime during the event and participate at your own pace. STEM van will be parked across from Park Headquarters. Please visit Find Activities| Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) for more details.
Central and West
Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, 287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA 01569
September 12th, 2026 2-4pm
Bugs of the Blackstone
Earn your Brownie Bugs Badge with us by learning all about the bugs of the Blackstone River! Explore their world and see what these little creatures have to tell you about our environment. This program is intended for 15 Brownie scouts and will be led by Visitor Services Supervisor, Sherine Hamade. Around a mile walk, so please wear muck boots/shoes you don't mind getting wet and/or dirty. Programming is subject to change or cancellation. For the most up to date programming information, call (508) 278-7604 or visit Girl Scouts Love State Parks for registration and more information.
Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
September 12th, 2026 1-3pm
Have to Have a Habitat!
Are you ready to earn your Animal Habitats badge? The best thing you can do to help wildlife is to protect their habitats. Learn the necessities an animal needs to have in its habitat, play the Habitat Game, then paint an animal on the mural in this ongoing program. Stay as long or short as you like. Paint and smocks provided. Visitor Services Supervisor, Nancy Condon, will be leading this program, and begins at the entryway to the Children's Museum at Holyoke Heritage State Park. Unlimited participants for the duration of the program, intended for ages 7-11, Brownies and Juniors scouts. Please visit Girl Scouts Love State Parks for more information.
Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turner Falls, MA 01376
September 12th, 2026 10:30am-12pm
Falling for Trees Gel Printing
Who doesn't love the bright colors of maple leaves in fall? Oak trees deserve our praise too! Show your appreciation and make your own fall colors with leaf gel printing! Along the way, learn how much oaks, maples and other trees do for us! Ideal for Outdoor Art Maker and Outdoor Art Creator badges! All materials provided. Intended for 18 Girl Scout participants and accompanying adults; for ages 5 and up. Meet program leader Sheila Damkoehler, Park Interpreter, in the Great Hall. Please visit Girl Scouts Love State Parks for registration and more information.
Blackstone River Greenway Visitor Center, 3 Paul Clancy Way, Worcester, MA
September 13th, 2026 10am-11:30am
Gardener Badge
This program is designed for Juniors going for their Gardener badge. We will first introduce attendees to the history and variety of gardens. Why have people always enjoyed gardening and what are all the different types of gardens? We will then explore our native plant gardens to get inspiration before building our own “micro gardens” with real dirt, seeds, and seedlings. Attendees can also make a flower arrangement to take home with them. Please bring your own small container or basin (preferably a durable material and no larger than a Rubbermaid container) in which to build a micro-garden. Can be a flowerpot, wooden box, etc. This program is intended for Girl Scouts grades 4-5, will be up to 30 participants (adults included) and will be led by Austin Alexander, Visitor Services Supervisor, at the Visitor Center. Please visit Girl Scouts Love State Parks for registration and more information.
| Last updated: | September 8, 2026 |
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