United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest Service

Northern 

Research Station

Research Note

NRS-162

Abstract

Around the world, youth are recognized as playing an important role in reducing 

the risk of disasters and promoting community resilience. Youth are participating in 

disaster education programs and carrying home what they learn; their families, in turn, 

are disseminating knowledge into the community. In addition to making a diff erence 

today, youth disaster education programs train the adults of tomorrow to be more 

prepared citizens. As social scientists and education researchers working in wildfi re risk 

mitigation, we asked: how can wildfi re education programs for youth help develop 

and support fi re-adapted human communities? To begin to answer this question, we 

studied seven wildfi re education programs for youth across the U.S. Programs were 

based in schools, public agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). In 

a series of interviews, we sought information that would enable us to describe and 

analyze (1) the program’s characteristics and the local resources to support it, (2) 

ways in which the program increased knowledge and awareness of wildfi re, promoted 

more realistic risk perceptions, and improved wildfi re preparedness for youth and 

their families, and (3) ways in which the program contributed to the local community 

becoming more adapted to fi re. We found that the extent to which the programs were 

integrated into local wildfi re planning and management eff orts varied, as did their 

eff ectiveness in reaching community members and homeowners. In this report we 

present fi ndings from one case study—the Girl Scouts Firewise Patch and Camps.

Girl Scout Firewise Patch and 

Camps: Youth Working with 

Communities to Adapt to Wildfi re

Martha Monroe

Annie Oxarart

Martha Monroe is a professor in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 

University of Florida, P.O. Box 110410, Gainesville FL 32611-0410. Annie Oxarart is the 

project coordinator, Environmental Education Programs, School of Forest Resources and 

Conservation, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110410, Gainesville FL 32611-0410.
2

GIRL SCOUTS FIREWISE PATCH AND CAMPS

Girl Scouts in Florida are wearing a new patch on their uniforms—one earned by learning 

about wildfi re, taking action to protect their homes, and educating others in their community 

to do the same. Th e Firewise1

 Patch program is led by the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, 

Inc. council and is available not only to Scouts in the council’s 10-county region, but also 

to girls throughout the United States. As researchers conducting a national study of wildfi re 

education programs for youth, we talked to individuals involved in the Girl Scout Firewise 

Patch program to better understand program characteristics and the local resources that 

support it, and to learn more about the program’s direct and indirect impacts on youth, 

families, and communities—including how the program is contributing to creating a fi readapted community2

. In this research note, we share what we learned from the Girl Scout 

program that can help other communities involve youth in reducing wildfi re risk.

Th e Girl Scout Firewise Patch resulted from a successful working relationship between 

the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. council (GSGCF) and the Florida Forest 

Service (FFS). Th is partnership began in 2006, when a FFS wildfi re mitigation specialist 

approached council staff to discuss strategies for reducing wildfi re risk on GSGCF camp 

properties, both of which are located in wildland urban interface areas with medium to high 

fi re risk. A small wildfi re at Camp Caloosa in Lee County highlighted concerns among local 

fi re department and FFS personnel about access to the property, camper safety, damage to 

camp structures, and potential for a wildfi re to spread and place nearby residents and homes 

at risk. FFS helped reduce the wildfi re risk at Camp Caloosa by widening trails, creating 

fi re lines, reducing hazardous fuels, and creating defensible space around structures. Similar 

mitigation eff orts were carried out by the FFS at Camp Honi Hanta in Manatee County.

The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast 

Florida, Inc. council serves a 

10-county region in southwest 

Florida and has two camps 

located within the region 

(location noted by stars).

2

U.S. policymakers have identifi ed a national goal for at-risk communities to be adapted to fi re. 

Fire-adapted communities consist of “informed and prepared citizens collaboratively planning and 

taking action to safely co-exist with wildland fi re” (Wildland Fire Leadership Council 2011, p. 33). 

1

Th e Firewise Communities program encourages local solutions for wildfi re safety by involving 

homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, fi refi ghters, and others in the eff ort to 

protect people and property from wildfi re risks (www.fi rewise.org).
3

GSGCF staff realized these activities were teachable moments for Scouts and began raising 

awareness about wildfi re and the steps being taken to reduce risk on the camp properties. 

For example, information kiosks were constructed to display educational materials, 

and the girls and their parents were given opportunities to help create defensible space 

around camp buildings. Girl Scout staff are non-formal educators and are always on the 

lookout for youth education and leadership opportunities, especially those that enable 

girls to educate others in the community. Th e Firewise activities at camp were an excellent 

opportunity:

“Everything you do in Girl Scouts you try to make into some kind of educational 

piece—those teachable moments. When we started working on making the camp 

Firewise, the fi rst thing we thought about is, ‘Ok, now how can we teach the girls 

about this and how can we teach them to teach others?’” (GSGCF interviewee)

In addition, the topic of wildfi re risk reduction fi ts very well with the Girl Scouts’ 

history of being good stewards of the environment. As one program developer said, 

“Being stewards of the environment is something that Girl Scouts have been doing since 

[founder] Juliette Low started girl scouting in 1912, and Firewise goes right along with 

that.”

Based on the success of the partnership and the enthusiasm of GSGCF staff , a vision for 

creating a Firewise Patch began to take shape within FFS. By including Girl Scouts in the 

Firewise eff ort, FFS staff hope to educate youth so that they will know what to do in the 

future as adults and that Scouts, in turn, would convey messages to adults at home who 

are able to reduce their risk today.

“Th e basic philosophy that I try to work with is that people are the biggest causes 

of wildfi re that we have in Florida. People who live in wildland-urban interface 

need to take personal responsibility of their choice to live there and need to know 

what to do to make their homes Firewise, to withstand a wildfi re disaster. So my 

real goal was to use the kids as an in-road to the families, so families would start 

to think about what they could do around their home to make their home safer 

from wildfi re.” (FFS interviewee)

Together, the partners designed a Girl Scout patch program for Scouts ages 11 years 

and older. To earn the patch, the Girl Scouts use recommended resources to investigate 

fi re-related topics and complete several tasks. In total, the requirements take from 8 to10 

hours to complete and include:

• conducting research using recommended resources and creating a 5-minute 

presentation about wildland urban interface 

• conducting research using recommended resources and creating a 5-minute 

presentation about home protection from wildfi re

“I was trying to create 

that family dynamic 

where all of a sudden they 

could start to look at these 

problems as a family.” 

(Staff, Florida Forest 

Service)
4

• interviewing a structural fi refi ghter or forest fi refi ghter to learn more about 

wildfi re in the local area and how to make neighborhoods safer

• performing risk assessment of their home and fi ve neighboring homes, and 

making recommendations for how to reduce that risk

• completing a community service project at Girl Scout camp or a local natural area 

to reduce wildfi re risk (e.g., maintain fi re trails, educate public about Firewise, 

help homeowners clean property)

• completing a community awareness project that helps reduce wildfi re risk in 

the community (e.g., design and distribute informational brochure, help create 

Firewise demonstration site, have a Firewise day at school)

Th e patch can be earned individually or as a troop. In either case, the troop 

leader works with the girls to obtain the patch instructions and resources, 

complete the requirements, and order the patch. Although no formal 

training is available to troop leaders, FFS staff are available to assist the 

Scouts as needed. Most recommended resources are available online, and the 

GSGCF maintains two resource kits that troop leaders can borrow. 

Each partner brings key ingredients to the program. Th e FFS contributes 

program content and context by recommending existing state resources 

to provide information that addresses wildfi re risk in Florida ecosystems 

and interface areas. Among other fi re education materials, the resource 

kit for troop leaders contains curricula developed by the Florida Forest 

Service, including “Living on the Edge in Florida” and “Fire in Florida’s 

Ecosystems.” Th e GSGCF provides program participants and the structure 

in which to conduct an educational program. Th e educational process follows the Girl 

Scout “Discover, Connect, and Take Action” leadership model for earning patches. A 

GSGCF employee explained, “Discover is when you learn new skills, new things, and 

new information; you Connect with others as you learn; and then you Take Action by 

taking it somewhere else.” Because many Girl Scout patches use this model, the Firewise 

patch could be adapted for use by other regional councils and troops around the country 

(modifi ed to take into account local conditions).

Th is model integrates elements of experiential learning, place-based learning, and servicelearning strategies. First, the patch requirements actively engage youth in activities 

from interviewing local professionals to completing home risk assessments. Because the 

information, presentations, and projects are nested within their local community and 

camp, youth are learning about their community’s fi re risk, fi re behavior, and home 

protection—a key aspect of place-based education. Finally, the action projects include 

components of service learning; girls plan and conduct activities that meet an identifi ed 

community need. As one GSGSF employee said, “Th e camps have to be maintained, and 

we had a lot of wildfi res in the area. We thought this would be a great service-learning 

project for the girls to learn to help keep [the camp] Firewise.”

Girl Scouts earn the Firewise Patch 

(pictured) by researching and making 

presentions on fi re risk and home protection, 

performing home risk assessments, and 

completing community awareness and 

community service fi re projects.

Photo by Annie Oxarart, University of Florida.

“Girls, sometimes as 

community service 

projects, will come 

[to the camps] and 

clear brush back.”

(Staff, Girl Scouts 

of Gulfcoast Florida, 

Inc.)
5

IMPACTS OF GIRL SCOUT FIREWISE PATCH AND CAMPS 

PROGRAM

As a result of the partnership with FFS, wildfi re risk has been 

reduced at both Girl Scout camps. Shortly after the mitigation 

work was completed at Camp Caloosa, a wildfi re occurred on 

camp property and emergency personnel were able to access the 

property and bring the fi re under control without any damage 

to camp structures or neighboring properties. As the GSGCF 

hoped, the Firewise activities have also raised wildfi re awareness 

among campers, particularly at Camp Honi Hanta. “At camp, 

when troops are here, they are very conscious of it. I get phone 

calls all the time, ‘are we in a fi re ban, can we have a campfi re?’” 

Th is awareness may also be attributed in part to the presence 

of a well-known bear—Smokey—who clearly calls attention 

to the level of fi re danger near the camp entrance. Th e Smokey 

Bear Fire Danger sign was made by two Girl Scouts, who have 

become Firewise experts through several Girl Scout-related 

activities. After learning about risk reduction activities at Camp Honi Hanta, the girls 

earned the Firewise Patch and made a Smokey Bear Fire Danger sign to earn their Silver 

Award3

 in the Girl Scout program. As part of the sign’s unveiling festivities, the two girls 

made an oral presentation to campers and their families. At the girls’ invitation, the FFS 

attended the event, brought fi refi ghting equipment, and helped answer audience questions. 

Th e FFS attendees noted that the content delivered was on target and of high quality:

“Th ey knew the 30 foot defensible space, cleaning off your roof and gutters, the 

diff erence between fl ammable and nonfl ammable plants, the diff erence between 

fl ammable and nonfl ammable mulch. I’ve said the same thing when I am doing a 

presentation or in front of the media talking about it. I was extremely impressed 

with the job that they did. For their age they did a lot of research; they knew their 

stuff . Th ey had pictures and charts. Extremely impressed...We were like, ‘Oh, my 

job’s in danger!’”

For these two Scouts, the knowledge they gained while completing the patch and 

presenting information to others was carried beyond the camp—they brought the 

information home to their parents and to their communities through multiple 

Curricula developed by the Florida Forest Service is 

used in the resource kit that troop leaders can borrow to 

assist Scouts who are completing the patch.

Photo by Annie Oxarart, University of Florida.

“The fire stopped right where we had the mitigation lines put 

in. None of the structures were damaged on the camp, and 

none of the structures on the surrounding properties were 

damaged in any way. It actually became one of our quickest 

success stories that we have for our mitigation program.” 

(Staff, Florida Forest Service)

3 Th e Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout (grades 6-8) can earn.
6

presentations. One Scout remembered working with her father to determine how far the 

bushes, limbs, and trees were from the house and said, “I checked to make sure all the 

bushes are 30 feet away.” In addition, one parent commented the program has impacted 

her family. Th ey live next to a large state park that manages with prescribed fi re. She stated:

“Before involvement with the patch, this was not something I thought about. 

We’ve lived there for 5 years and were aware of wildfi re and prescribed burns, 

but never thought about how to prepare our property. On a personal level, it is 

something that we need to be conscious of living out there.”

To raise awareness in their rural neighborhood, the Scouts gave their presentation to about 

20 people at a homeowners’ association meeting. Th ey observed that the audience seemed 

interested, took notes, and asked questions. Some audience members also made comments 

about intending to take the suggested actions.

In another presentation at the Forever Green Girl Scout event4

, the Scouts noted that 

“People learn stuff they didn’t know they need to know. It was nice to see that not only 

were the kids getting involved. Th e adults would come over and I saw them listening too.” 

Being able to teach adults made a signifi cant impact on both Scouts and is the type of 

learning experience that cannot be replicated in a classroom:

“Th ere is not much you can teach adults because they are older than you and they 

already know everything it seems. And teaching them without even realizing it, it is 

To unveil the new Smokey Bear Fire Danger sign, two Girl Scouts gave a presentation to 

campers and their families. Photo by Lynn Reid, GSGCF Volunteer.

4 Girl Scout Forever Green events were held around the globe to celebrate Girl Scouting’s 100th 

anniversary through service projects to improve the environment and protect natural resources.
7

like ‘Oh my God, I feel so amazing right now.’ And they are looking at you like, 

‘Wow, I learned something I didn’t know I could learn. I didn’t know this was 

there to learn.’”

Th e success of these two girls in creating awareness at camp, in their households, and 

within their community is certainly noteworthy. However, during this research, we were 

not able to locate other examples of Scouts who had completed the patch program or 

used the topic to receive a Scout award. Th e program partners hope that the program will 

continue to grow, and they feel strongly that if that happens, the program will have farreaching impacts:

“Th e more people that we can educate about wildfi re protection and Firewise, 

the better off it makes our state. Th ese little girls are wanting to get patches, 

and this is a great patch. Th ey can go out and do community service and do 

assessments. It is a partnership with us that we can go out and educate. Th ey are 

real instrumental in getting the message out because everyone is going to listen to 

a little girl. It makes it easy to get our message out.” (FFS employee)

Away from the coast, rural neighborhoods border fi re-prone landscapes, such as 

Myakka State Park (pictured). Photo by Martha Monroe, University of Florida.

“We all have our own circle of 

influence. I think the program helps 

their circles. If they can share with 

their circle, and their circle shares 

with [another] circle, [the message] 

will continue to move out.”

(Staff, Florida Forest Service)
8

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GIRL SCOUT 

FIREWISE PATCH AND CAMPS

Although the FFS provides the bulk of support for the Girl Scouts Firewise Patch, the 

program is designed so other community organizations or groups can assist Scouts as they 

complete the patch requirements. For example, depending on the action projects chosen, 

Scouts may interact with parent volunteers, teachers from school, employees at parks and 

natural areas, or local emergency personnel. We learned from the Scouts interviewed that 

FFS employees contributed their time, materials, and expertise by answering questions 

as needed, providing handouts for use during Scout presentations, and participating in 

the camp presentation to unveil the Smokey Bear Fire Danger sign. As one Scout stated, 

“[FFS] has been really supportive with it, answered several questions about stuff , and 

pointed us in the right direction. He has been very helpful.” In addition, these Scouts 

received assistance from their troop leader and their fathers, who helped make the Smokey 

Bear Fire Danger sign.

Th e eff ort to reduce fi re risk at camp was also spearheaded by the FFS—with key 

contributions of funding, employee time, equipment, and staff expertise. Th e FFS 

mitigation activities at Camp Caloosa alone were estimated to cost $9,000 and included 

both district and regional personnel and equipment. FFS contributions at both camps 

during this time were extensive. As one GSCGF representative said, “God bless them. 

Th ey were there all the time helping us. Th ey were more than willing to do anything.” 

While completing the mitigation work at Camp Honi Hanta, the FFS mitigation 

specialist strengthened their relationship with the local fi re department by taking each 

shift of fi refi ghters on a tour of the property, which is tucked between a subdivision, 

buff alo farm, and a river, “...making them aware of the camp, the fi re lines, what we 

The Florida Forest Service worked to reduce wildfi re risk at Camp 

Caloosa by widening trails, creating fi re lines, and reducing hazardous 

fuels (left: before mitigation activities; above: after mitigation activities). 

Photos by Florida Forest Service.
9

did, where the structures are. We worked with the fi re department to bring them 

in, as a partnership with them.” Both the FFS and fi re department now have a 

remote gate opener to the entrance of the camp, so they can quickly access the 

property in case of an emergency. Although these initial activities to involve the 

local fi re department were successful at Camp Honi Hanta, the relationships have 

not developed over time. At Camp Caloosa, however, the local fi re department 

is regularly seen coming through camp on the weekends and helps conduct 

prescribed burns on the camp property.

Other organizations and volunteers have been involved in the wildfi re risk 

reduction activities at camp, including volunteers from Florida Gulf Coast University and 

the Walt Disney Company’s community giving program. In both instances, volunteers 

helped to remove dry, highly fl ammable vegetation—including melaleuca (Melaleuca 

quinquenervia (Cav.)), an invasive exotic tree.

NEXT STEPS FOR GIRL SCOUT FIREWISE PATCH AND 

CAMPS PROGRAM

Program developers, coordinators, partners, and participants view the creation 

of the Firewise Patch and the mitigation work at the camps as successful. 

Interviewees also agree that the program is still young and participation in the 

patch program has been limited: “It needs some motivation to get more girls 

to participate. I think the girls who have participated have been successful, but 

there haven’t been huge numbers of them.” Maintaining the initial work that 

was completed at both camps to reduce fi re risk is also a challenge, especially 

in the current environment of decreasing budgets and increasing workloads. 

Camps no longer have property maintenance staff , making it more diffi cult to 

maintain the Firewise landscape. Interviewees had several recommendations for 

improving the program in the upcoming years.

• Increase Girl Scout participation in the patch program. Th e patch could 

be marketed to Scouts with known interest in natural resource and 

environmental issues, who may be more likely to participate.

• Increase youth participation statewide. Th e FFS could play a role in spreading 

the patch to other Girl Scout Councils and adapting the program for use in Boy 

Scout programs as well. With mitigation specialists who conduct youth education 

presentations throughout the state, FFS personnel may already know people who 

would be interested.

• Develop a Firewise summer camp session. Including Firewise as one of the Girl 

Scout summer camp themes would allow youth to complete the patch at camp 

and give the program more exposure. Again, special attention would need to be 

given to program marketing to make the camp sound as fun as other activities. 

• Train the troop leaders and GSGCF staff . A regional training could generate 

interest among troop leaders and provide them with background information 

and resources to help their Scouts earn the Firewise patch. Troop leader training 

“We teamed up with the 

Girl Scouts doing a lot of 

mitigation work. We have 

spent a lot of time working 

at the camp, reducing the 

fuel load that they had. 

We have a really good 

partnership.” 

(Staff, Florida Forest Service)

“[The Firewise Patch] is an 

awesome program. It has been 

laid out in just an awesome 

way. It is so valuable in 

Florida, especially with 

the wildfires, for the girls 

and their families to take 

back to their neighborhoods 

and to understand why it 

is important to become a 

Firewise community.” 

(Staff, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast 

Florida, Inc.)
10

would help ensure that the messages spread by the Scouts are accurate and locally 

relevant.

• Create an alternative Firewise designation for camp settings. Although the 

GSGCF received an award at the 2008 National Firewise conference for the 

patch, camps are not eligible for offi cial Firewise Community status because the 

properties do not have full-time residents. Developing an alternative designation 

for youth camps at the national level may motivate groups to complete and 

maintain wildfi re risk reduction activities on their properties. 

• Nurture the GSCGF and FFS partnership. For program growth and 

improvement, both partners need staff with dedicated time for ongoing 

communication and activities.

• Maintain and expand fi re risk reduction activities on camp properties. Scouts and 

volunteers could be encouraged to complete small projects at both camps, such 

as maintaining defensible space around camp buildings. For larger projects that 

require extensive work and equipment, GSGCF could investigate grant, costshare, and contracting opportunities.

• Increase GSCGF camp staff awareness of wildfi re risk reduction activities. 

Information about how to maintain the camp to reduce fi re risk should be 

included in the camp property management books, so that this information is 

regularly available to new and existing staff .

• Use camp as a Firewise demonstration site. Th e camps could serve as 

demonstration areas where parents, visitors, and community members can learn 

about Firewise landscaping and defensible space.

Researchers also off er the following next steps based on case study analysis:

• Target troops in high fi re risk areas. Th e council covers a large geographic region 

with varying degrees of wildfi re risk. To increase the likelihood that patch 

activities have an impact, the patch could be marketed to troops living in or near 

high risk communities or FFS staff could help locate and work in high risk areas. 

With the support of FFS, the Scouts could be more involved in teaching and 

training communities at risk to become Firewise.

• Update and expand the recommended resources for completing the patch. 

Th e kits available for troop leaders to check out could be updated with revised 

materials and expanded to include recent fact sheets, videos, engaging educational 

activities, or other fi re outreach materials produced for Florida. In addition, 

because most materials are available online, troop leaders could be given a 

descriptive list of resources with Web page links.

• Expand community partners. Th ere are many opportunities to work with 

state parks, landowners, fi re departments, communities, and others across the 

council to help conduct fi re education and outreach and to reduce risk through 

mitigation activities. As a team, the FFS and troops completing the patch could 

“If we can make sure 

that the troop leaders 

are educated about 

the whole Firewise 

program, the patch 

and all, then they can 

encourage and guide 

the girls.”

(Staff, Florida Forest 

Service)
11

identify potential partners to complete projects with long lasting impacts for both 

the youth and the wider community.

• Link with existing federal programs and partnerships. A national partnership 

between the U.S. Forest Service and the Girl Scouts supports the program, 

“Linking Girls to the Land,” which may be an opportunity to better market the 

Firewise patch to other regional councils in high wildfi re risk areas.

LESSONS FOR OTHER WILDFIRE EDUCATION 

PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH

From the information we learned through assessing the Girl Scout Firewise Patch and 

Camps program, we off er the following advice for educational organizations and fi re 

management agencies interested in youth wildfi re education.

• Consider the ability of youth to deliver important 

messages with unparalleled enthusiasm and energy.

• Combine the expertise of forestry agency staff 

with non-formal educators interested in youth 

development to build programs with eff ective 

content and educational strategies.

• Build local programs that are fl exible enough to be 

replicated in multiple locations.

• Track and document participant numbers and 

program outputs, which will help determine 

program worth and garner support for program 

continuation. Th is step is especially important for 

public agencies that likely have specifi c reporting 

procedures to obtain and continue program funding.

• Match youth action projects, both outreach presentations and risk reduction 

activities, to high risk communities or areas in need.

• Dedicate staff time to working with partners to help ensure that the program 

continues to grow and meet all partners’ needs.

• Pay attention to potential transitions and changes in program leadership and plan 

for how to respond to those eventualities by training new leaders.

A Firewise sign located on the welcome kiosk at Camp Caloosa. 

Photo by Victoria Sturtevant.

“Ultimately, what we really hope is 

that it is making the [Florida] Forest 

Service job easier and that people are 

clearing that defensible space.”

(Staff, Girl Scouts of 

Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.)
12

PROGRAM INFORMATION AND CONTACTS

• Girl Scouts of Gulf Coast Florida, Inc. Web site, www.gsgcf.org

• Firewise Communities Web site, www.fi rewise.org

• Florida Forest Service Web site, www.fl oridaforestservice.com

WILDFIRE EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH 

RESEARCH PROJECT TEAM:

Dr. Pamela Jakes Dr. Heidi Ballard and Ms. Emily Evans

U.S. Forest Service University of California-Davis

pjakes@fs.fed.us hballard@ucdavis.edu

 erevans@ucdavis.edu

Dr. Martha Monroe and Ms. Annie Oxarart Dr. Victoria Sturtevant

University of Florida Southern Oregon University

mcmonroe@ufl .edu sturtevant@sou.edu

oxarart@ufl .edu

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We express our sincere thanks to Melissa Mason, Kathleen O’Leary, Patrick Mahoney, 

Gerry LaCavera, the Girl Scouts, troop leaders, and the other individuals who contributed 

their time, program knowledge, and thoughtful refl ection to make this case study possible. 

Funding for this study was provided by the National Fire Plan through the Northern 

Research Station and the home institutions of the research team.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Th is is one in a series of Forest Service publications presenting descriptions of individual 

case studies included in the National Fire Plan study “Promoting fi re adapted human 

communities through youth wildfi re education programs.” Other research notes in 

the series can be found by searching the title “Youth Working with Communities” at 

Treesearch, http://treesearch.fs.fed.us, or by contacting a member of the research team.

METHODS

Th is report is part of a larger investigation of how youth wildfi re education programs 

contribute to the development of fi re-adapted human communities. Th e National 

Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy defi nes a fi re-adapted community as 

consisting of “informed and prepared citizens collaboratively planning and taking action 

to safely co-exist with wildland fi re” (Wildland Fire Leadership Council 2011, p. 33). 
13

Figure 1.—Research framework for understanding the link between wildfi re education programs for youth and fi re-adapted 

human communities, where youth wildfi re education programs, using environmental education methods, infl uence 

students and families and contribute to communities becoming adapted to fi re, with local community resources supporting 

the wildfi re education program.

5 Th e WUI Mitigation Committee provides coordinated leadership, input, and recommendations 

to public wildfi re management agencies for the achievement of fi re-adapted communities in the 

wildland urban interface. http://www.nwcg.gov/branches/ppm/wuimc/index.htm 

A working group of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Mitigation Committee of 

the National Wildfi re Coordinating Group5

 has identifi ed four types of adaptations a 

community must make to become adapted to fi re: (1) social adaptations, (2) political 

adaptations, (3) ecological adaptations, and (4) emergency management adaptations. In 

studying wildfi re education programs for youth, we looked for ways in which the program 

contributed to adaptations in these four areas.

We explored the environmental education and community wildfi re management literature 

and developed a model to explain how education programs and fi re-adapted human 

communities interact (Fig. 1). Th e case study reported here is helping us further defi ne 

and characterize the model. Our fi rst step was to describe the program, focusing on 

program content and the extent to which the program employed experiential, place-based, 

and service learning activities (blue box in Fig. 1). Next, we collected data on whether 

and how the program increased knowledge and awareness of the physical, ecological, and 

social aspects of wildfi re, promoted more realistic risk perceptions, and improved wildfi re 

preparedness for youth and their families (down arrow in Fig. 1). We then looked for 

ways the program may be contributing to the local community being more adapted to 

fi re (green oval in Fig. 1). Finally, we identifi ed community resources that supported the 

program (up arrow in Fig 1).
14

Th e case study approach is a common research method applied when scientists want to 

study “who, what, how, and why” for a contemporary event within a real-life context 

(Yin 2003). We selected programs for case studies that would represent (1) programs 

that are contributing (even in a small way) to the development of a fi re-adapted human 

community or have the potential to do so in the near future, (2) a range of program 

types (based in schools, clubs or organizations, and NGOs), and (3) diff erent regions 

of the country. We used purposive sampling to select interviewees (Lindlof and Taylor 

2002). Th is selection process is appropriate when scientists need to identify people 

who have specialized knowledge about the program being studied. Data were gathered 

using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews following an analytic induction approach 

(Glaser and Strauss 1999). Analytic induction is ideally suited for this study because it 

allows us to identify patterns and themes surrounding concepts that have received little 

empirical study. For the Girl Scout Firewise Patch and Camps case, we interviewed seven 

individuals, including staff and volunteers from the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. 

and the Florida Forest Service, and youth participants. Additional data were collected 

from secondary sources such as the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. Web site, 

program handouts and resources, and the Firewise Communities® newsletter.

LITERATURE CITED

Glaser, B.G.; Strauss, A.L. 1999. Th e discovery of grounded theory: strategies for 

qualitative research. New York: Aldine de Gryuter. 271 p.

Lindlof, T.R.; Taylor, B.C. 2002. Qualitative communication research methods. 2nd 

ed. Th ousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 357 p.

Wildland Fire Leadership Council. 2011. A national cohesive wildland fi re 

management strategy. http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/national.shtml. 

(Accessed August 12, 2011).

Yin, R. 2003. Case study research: design and methods. Th ousand Oaks, CA: Sage 

Publications. 181 p.
Printed on Recycled Paper

Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/

Published by: For additional copies:

U.S. FOREST SERVICE U.S. Forest Service

11 CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 Publications Distribution

NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073 359 Main Road

 Delaware, OH 43015-8640

 Fax: 740-368-0152

February 2013 Email: nrspubs@fs.fed.us

Manuscript received for publication 13 August 2012

Monroe, Martha; Oxarart, Annie. 2013. Girl Scout fi rewise patch and 

camps: youth working with communities to adapt to wildfi re. Res. 

Note NRS-162. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 14 p.

KEY WORDS: fi re-adapted community, youth environmental education, 

youth disaster education, service learning, place-based learning, 

experiential learning
Northern Research Station

www.nrs.fs.fed.us