Preparing for Adventure: Girl Scout Learns Wilderness First Aid

This September, three members of our council took their outdoor leadership to the next level with the National Wilderness Leadership Institute’s Wilderness First Aid Training. Among them were Girl Scout Beryl, her mother and troop leader Heather, and troop leader Matt. The trio—representing Troop 625 in Reston, VA—were the only participants in the two-day course, which made for a highly personalized and immersive training experience.

At just 15, Beryl is already a skilled outdoor adventurer. She’s an avid hiker and backpacker who has her sights set on extended (50+ mile) treks and even solo expeditions. She’s also exploring future pathways in biology, forestry, and medicine—interests that connect perfectly with her love of the outdoors.

Beryl’s Girl Scout journey is filled with leadership and service. She’s working toward her Gold Award, serves as a teen counselor at Camp Fairfax and Camp Crossroads each summer, and keeps active as a high school wrestler and ski instructor. She is even considering taking EMT and firefighter training through her high school. Training like Wilderness First Aid helps her prepare for her next big adventures while embodying the Girl Scout spirit of helping others while growing in courage, confidence, and character.

Wilderness First Aid prepares participants to manage injuries and illnesses in the backcountry, where help may be hours away. The course combined classroom instruction with realistic, hands-on scenarios. Each participant took turns serving as the lead responder or acting as a patient, complete with moulage (mock injuries, make-up, and fake blood). The final exam pushed their skills to the limit: treating a simulated rock-climbing accident victim, “Joe,” a practice dummy with head injuries, broken limbs, cuts, and even a punctured lung. Using only a basic first aid kit and what they carried in their packs, the team stabilized Joe for evacuation. Beryl hauled both her own pack and the 200-pound “patient” back inside after the exercise was complete!

Opportunities like this remind us that Girl Scouts isn’t just about earning badges—it’s about building real-world skills that empower youth members to take on any challenge. Whether it’s scaling mountains, leading in STEM, or caring for others in the outdoors, Girl Scouts equips members with the training and confidence to succeed.

We’re proud of Beryl, Heather, and Matt for investing in their skills and bringing that knowledge back to our Girl Scout community! For more information about the National Wilderness Leadership Institute and their Wilderness First Aid Training, visit https://www.nwli.org/wilderness-first-aid/.