These Girl Scouts want to help coral, so they made a new cookie
Can a cookie help save our environment? Two Girl Scouts think so.
As youth ambassadors to Coral Restoration Foundation, Olivia Antillon and Alejandra Jiménez are working to raise awareness through the iconic Girl Scout cookie platform.
Their goal is to share a fun and inventive approach to tackling the tough topic of what’s happening to our coral reefs. Their baking and education efforts will be featured on the environmental variety show “Wormhole TV” in the coming months.
“Our generation is basically the generation in between the destruction of coral or the liveliness of coral, so it’s up to us to either destroy coral or help coral, and I choose to help coral,” Olivia said.
The two spent a week with coral scientists and partners at CRF and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium to learn how coral reefs protect shorelines from storms, and that 25 percent of marine life rely on coral reefs at some point in their life cycle. Without immediate action, most coral reefs could die off within the next 30 years.
The Girl Scouts then took their research and entrepreneurial expertise to develop and pitch an idea of how a new Girl Scout Cookie could be just what is needed to elevate awareness.
“To get people to pay attention, we need something fun, we need something engaging. People love Girl Scout cookies. Why don’t we make a Girl Scout cookie based off of coral with flavors from the sea?” Olivia said.
The girls developed their coral-themed cookie prototype at Camp Mahachee with guidance from professional chef Ignacia Valdes Novik, who introduced them to the sustainable food colorant and superfood spirulina.
They then made two dozen fluorescent blue coral-shaped cookies decorated with sea salt caramel and pitched their concept to five board members and community partners of Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida.
Alejandra kicked off the presentation with the convincing statement, “Coral cookies combine our passion for restoring the reefs with everyone’s favorite cookie!”
“This is a generation of girls that has no choice but to solve the climate crisis, and if they need to use something like the Girl Scout cookies or any kind of cookie to create awareness, excitement and knowledge around the importance of the coral reef, then I say let’s do it,” said Chelsea Wilkerson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida.
Coral Restoration Foundation is excited about the potential to raise awareness for coral with the help of the Girl Scouts and their cookies.
“Being ambassadors in this way puts them in a position to share their information with their peers and adults. Sometimes having an adult be told about this thing by a younger person can be so impactful,” said Roxane Boonstra, Learning Ecosystems Administrator with the Coral Restoration Foundation.
The coral awareness passion of the two Girl Scouts was captured by the environmental documentary team at “Wormhole TV.” whose work ensures environmental topics are made accessible and actionable for the public.
Alejandra hopes their baking invention can go far as well.
“I hope they’ll say, ‘Oh, maybe one day we’ll turn these cookies into a Girl Scout cookie.’”
To learn more and follow the progress of this collaborative effort, visit www.gowormhole.com/episodes/coral-restoration.
SWIM SCHOOL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS
Thirty years ago, Miren Oca could not have dreamed that giving swimming lessons in her small backyard would eventually grow to become a business that has reached more than 6,000 students in five thriving locations.
But through pure passion and determination, she created Ocaquatics Swim School and turned swim lessons into a business that cares and gives back. Every year, Ocaquatics hosts a free community-wide anniversary party that celebrates the start of the business and the people who made it happen.
The most recent free birthday party, at the end of February, brought in families, elected officials and even celebrities to honor the Ocaquatics Swim School success story. The company teaches swimmers of all ages, from infants to adults, across five indoor, warm water locations around Miami.
Activities included water safety tips, a bounce house and other fun kid activities. Local groups had booths to share knowledge and resources for protecting the South Florida environment and its water.
Miami-Dade County and the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center brought their “Pod” mobile resource, which provides education on climate change, resilience and sustainability. They even gave away free vegetable seedlings to all who attended to start their own gardens at home.
Ocaquatics continually invests in its surrounding community through activities like beach cleanups and free water safety education, Miren Oca said. She also recently hosted a celebration with her staff at which she rewarded 50 long-term team members with equity in the Ocaquatics company.
Said Oca: “Not only do we get to teach a lifesaving skill, but we also get to use our business as a force for good to benefit our families, our team, our community and our planet. We are different and we make a difference. We invite the Miami community to join us as we strive to be the change we wish to see and make an impact together.” Learn more at www.ocaquatics.com
PARTY LIKE IT’S 1949 AT HISTORIC LIBRARY
The beautiful Brockway Memorial Library, which attained local historic designation last fall, will soon host “A Toast to 1949,” a cocktail party to honor the year the Miami Shores building opened.
The 75th anniversary event is 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 13, at 10021 NE Second Ave. Attendees are encouraged to dress in 1940s attire. This is a ticketed event open to the community. Visit www.toastto1949.eventebrite.com for tickets, $75 each, and more. Funds raised help the library’s community projects.
Also, check out the 90th anniversary commemorative book about Miami Shores Village that was just released. It is available for purchase at the library.
Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.