Centre County’s Newest Scouts Find Belonging in the Great Outdoors

Lavender Scouts is one of Centre Region Parks and Recreation’s latest programs, aiming to provide an inclusive scouting experience for LGBTQIA+ and questioning youth.

Recommended for youth aged 13 to 17, the scouts have been meeting at the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center in State College since their first season in the fall of 2023.

“In an era where technology and online use have captivated children and adults, Lavender Scouts provides an unplugged and outdoor venue for community building, learning and growing together,” stated Greg Koehler, Millbrook Marsh Nature Center supervisor, using the input of a Lavender Scouts program leader and Mandy Maguffey, Millbrook Marsh’s program manager.

The current season of Lavender Scouts will run through May before taking a hiatus in the summer of 2024 for program development, resuming in the fall of 2024.

“We approach every scout from a place of respect for their identity — LGBTQIA+ youth are often going through a time of exploration and transformation with their identity,” Koehler continued.

Lavender Scouts offers much of what you would expect from any scouting troop, including badges and hands-on learning about outdoor spaces, fostering positive relationships not only within the troop but also within the community. Just like other scouting programs, earning badges through a set of tasks or accomplishments is fundamental to the experience.

Last season, the troop earned the Phenology Badge, observing specific areas of the marsh over the three-month season. The scouts were required to design a nature journal to track how the set areas changed over time and then compare their own observations to the field guides from Millbrook Marsh’s library. 

This season, they are currently working on the Surviving Badge, which combines survival techniques like first aid and shelter building with mental health advocacy and self-care techniques.

“In addition to the enjoyment and fun of spending time in outdoor spaces, working with their hands and using creative problem-solving, time in the outdoors can be very beneficial to reducing anxiety and other mental health issues frequently experienced by LGBTQIA+ youth and adults,” Koehler noted alongside the program leader and Maguffey.

The scouting program offers a unique opportunity for Centre County LGBTQIA+ and questioning youth to have an affirming space to connect with peers sharing similar experiences, their own identities and the natural world.

“Scouts have mentioned that it’s nice to have a place where they can hang out with other folks who they can relate to,” Koehler highlighted. “Sharing cultural references and touchstones with other scouts and the program leader provides a nice sense of belonging.”

In addition to providing a welcoming space, the program encourages creativity and imagination. The current group has even created their own cryptid, or mythical creature, that calls Millbrook Marsh its home.

“The cryptid is called the Millbrook Marsh Entity,” Koehler explained. “It is rumored to be a skeletal deer carrying a lantern full of fireflies in its mouth. It wanders the marsh, picking up bits of pollution and trash, and frightening off those who litter and degrade the natural landscape.”

Lavender Scouts meet twice a month at the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center to learn about community service, natural history, LGBTQIA+ history and culture, creativity and much more.

To keep Lavender Scouts accessible, the program offers ongoing enrollment with prorated fees as the season progresses, accommodating scouts who want to join after the season begins. Scholarships are also available through the Centre Region Parks and Recreation website under the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center programs section. The group is seeking potential sponsors to cover the full cost of the program, with the aim of making Lavender Scouts free for all participants.

For those interested, more program and scholarship information is available online through the Millbrook Nature Center Public Programs page on the Centre Region Parks and Recreation website. The program is also accepting donations for supplies and scholarships.