Gold Award Spotlight: Emma Huntsman

Meet Emma Huntsman, a 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout from Troop #2317 in St. Johns, Florida! Through her incredible project, Estuary Advocacy, Emma took on the vital mission of raising awareness about the health of estuaries and encouraging her community to take part in protecting these precious ecosystems.

Estuaries, where freshwater meets the sea, are essential to local wildlife and serve as natural buffers against climate change. Emma recognized the urgent need for public education and action around this issue. In response, she built three litter stations, complete with eye-catching and educational signage, to promote proper waste disposal and environmental responsibility. These stations weren’t just informative, they were resilient too, withstanding hurricane season and remaining a fixture in the community.

Emma’s passion didn’t stop there. She:

Hosted educational sessions to teach others about estuary conservation
Created a custom Girl Scout patch program focused on estuary awareness
Participated in beach cleanups and Estuary Fest, where over 234 people visited her booth
Inspired multiple Girl Scout troops to initiate their own estuary and beach cleanups

To keep the momentum going, Emma partnered with The Friends of Guana Organization and donated litter pickers to support continued cleanup efforts.

“I see all this development and I thought, if people really knew how important and how valuable these ecosystems were in fighting climate change, maybe, just maybe, we would take better care of our estuaries and we would protect them,” Emma shared.

During the 2025 Gold Award Ceremony, Emma was interviewed by Tallahassee's ABC27, where she shared the story behind her impactful project and spoke about the power of Girl Scouts and the significance of earning the Gold Award. Click here to watch her interview!

Emma’s Gold Award is a shining example of how one Girl Scout’s vision and dedication can create real, lasting impact. Congratulations, Emma, on completing your Gold Award and making waves in environmental stewardship!

To learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, visit: gsgateway.org/highest-awards

*To learn more about Emma's Gold Award project, click the link below to check out her Gold Award interview!