How to help your daughter earn the Eco award

Is your daughter passionate about helping the planet and doing something good for the environment? We’ve got the award for you. 

Our research told us that more than 9 in 10 girls and young women are already taking active steps to reduce their carbon footprint and tackle environmental issues. They’re doing things like turning off lights and electrical appliances when not in use, saying no to fast fashion, and reusing and recycling as much as possible.  

In response to this, in 2025 we developed the Eco award. Whether it’s saving energy at home or protecting local wildlife, this award encourages and empowers girls to help the environment.

And with over 300,000 members in Girlguiding, if we all make some small changes, it can make a big difference to our planet. 

What’s the Eco award? 

The Eco award helps girls to think about how they can look after the environment - and families can join in too. Girls need to do 3 actions help the planet. The actions can be done at home or in your local community. You might also do the actions or the Eco award in your Girlguiding unit. The award’s designed so girls can have fun and help to protect the planet, while earning a special badge and certificate!

Who can do the Eco award? 

Every young member can do the Eco award. It’s our first youth award that can be completed across every section, from Rainbows to Rangers. Girls can also complete their Eco award each time they move up through their sections, but they need to do different actions each time. 

Each section has its own unique Eco award badge featuring a different endangered animal. Check out our Eco award pages for more information. 

• Rainbow Eco award. 
• Brownie Eco award. 
• Guide Eco award. 
• Ranger Eco award. 

How do we do the award at home? 

The Eco award can be completed at home. Your daughter's unit might also choose to run the award too, so make sure to ask your leader before starting it.

To earn it, you need to choose 3 actions to help the environment. Girls must do 1 of their actions consistently over a set period of time. This means doing it at least once per week.  

These 3 actions can be done anywhere: at home, during unit meetings, at school, or places in the community, like a local park or playground.  

What actions could we do? 

One of the great things about the Eco award is that it’s flexible. Girls can pick 3 actions that suit their interests and the time and resources they have available. For example, they could plant wildflowers, research local environmental campaigns to get involved in, help at a community garden, or upcycle old items. Here are some ideas for environmental actions for inspiration:

• 20 unusual eco-friendly activities. 
• 14 creative recycled craft ideas. 
• Activities to help girls learn about the environment.  

We asked Rangers and Guides in Fyvie, Scotland what actions they’re planning to take to earn their Eco award. 

• 'One of my pledges is that I’m going to borrow more books from the library instead of buying new ones.’ 
• 'I’m going to walk places more when I can. I’m going to do more book swaps with friends instead of buying new books.’ 
• 'Using metal water bottles instead of buying plastic.’ 
• 'Using beeswax for my sandwiches to wrap them up.’ 
• 'I’m going to donate all my old clothes to charity shops so other people can use them.’ 
• 'To use public transport more.’ 
• 'I’m going to try growing more of my own vegetables.’  

10 ways to support your daughter to do the Eco award 

1. Tell your unit leader: tell your unit volunteers your daughter's starting the award so they can get support and advice along the way. It means they can get the badge ready too.
2. Read the award guides together: read through the Eco award guide for your age group for some inspiration: Rainbow Eco award, Brownie Eco award, Guide Eco award and Ranger Eco award.
3. Decide on some actions: talk about what you could do and to see which environmental actions spark your daughter's interest. When you’re ready, choose 3 environmental actions based on what you’re passionate about. You need to do one of them for at least 3 months.
4. Suggest some interest badges: remember to tell your leader about any interest badges you did while completing the Eco award along the way. You might want to buy the I’ve helped the planet badge to celebrate too.
5. Work out your family's carbon footprint: a good place to start is checking your own environmental impact. Sit down together and use a simple online calculator - and you might be surprised by what you find out!
6. Help gather the evidence: be her official photographer! Snap photos of her building bug hotels, sorting recycling, or cooking a meat-free meal. These are great to send to the unit leader or bring into the next meeting.
7. Get the whole family on board: if her project involves household changes, like a new recycling system or shorter showers, help her by making sure everyone follows her lead.  You could invite some friends to join the fun too.
8. Let her take the lead: complete 3 chosen activities. She can do this at home, with friends, or as part of a unit project.
9. Keep track of progress: keeping track of progress for 2 months can be tricky. Help her set up a simple chart on the fridge or a shared digital calendar. Checking it off together gives her a real sense of achievement as she nears the finish line.
10. Help her find her voice: The final step is sharing what she's done with her unit or community to spread the word about sustainability. If your daughter’s nervous about presenting to her unit, let her practise with you. Be a cheerleader and remind her of the real impact she’s had at home.