BAZETTA — Three Girl Scouts have enhanced Bazetta Township Park with a trail and inspirational signage that completed their Silver Award project.

Annabelle Campos and Leia Campos, both of Cortland, and Haley Spangler of Warren, all middle school and high school students and members of Troop 80386, said they wanted to earn their Silver Award with a project involving mental health.

The Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout can earn and is the second highest award in Girl Scouting, with the Gold Award the highest a Girl Scout can earn

“Being out in nature helps your mental health. We thought walking would be a great thing to do, so we thought of a path people could walk on and stop and see signs with mental health quotes on them,” Annabelle said.

There are eight aluminum signs located along the trail. Signs have information, mental health tips and coping skills on them, such as one with flowers on it and ways to help someone calm down and get their mind off things.

“I hope someone walking the trail and reading the signs will be able to make their life better. I hope people realize they are not alone and this helps calm them,” Annabelle said. “We wanted to share the importance of mental health to the community so they could be aware of it.”

The Scouts said depression, anxiety and stress affect many people, from the young to the elderly.

“We chose to do this project so that if they are experiencing these things, they know they are not alone,” Annabelle said.

She said mental health should not be pushed under the rug.

“You wouldn’t tell someone with a broken arm to ‘Suck it up,’ so why are we treating mental health like this?”

The trio received approval from the trustees and the park board for the project.

UNVEILING

On Sunday, an unveiling took place and gave people an opportunity to walk the trail.

“I hope people can see that Girl Scouts do a lot for their communities and help people,” Annabelle said.

Spangler said mental health is just as important as physical health, and the project combines both.

Spangler said while a Silver Award requires 50 hours, they put in 62 hours with their project. The three raised money and received sponsorships. They plan next to work on their Gold Award, which is an 80-hour project.

Trustee Mike Morelli said the park’s original pathway was put in 20 years ago, and he said he hoping the Scouts’ project will make the path be used more.

“This project gets people to walk and exercise, which benefits mental health. We have a lot of people of all ages who frequent this park,” Morelli said.

Jane Christyson, CEO for Girl Scouts Northeast Ohio, said the Scouts put in time to provide something for the community.

Modern Trends Remodeling LLC made and donated the eight signs and Thrive Counseling provided mental health items and materials. The Scouts said they chose Bazetta Township Park because many people come there because of nearby Mosquito Lake, the Imagination Station playground and the Storybook Trail.