Local Girl Scouts continue their celebration of 100 years of Scouting by planting trees throughout the area.

More than two dozen Brownie, Junior, and Cadette Girl Scouts gathered at Towamensing Elementary in Palmerton this week to plant 30 Eastern White Pine and Eastern Hemlock trees along the road and behind the school.The trees were provided by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania council, which recently distributed 10,000 trees to its member troops as part of their "Girl Scouts Forever Green" initiative. Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania serves girls in nearby Carbon, Berks, and Lehigh counties and as far south as Philadelphia.Of these 10,000 trees, approximately 166 will be planted in the Palmerton area.As Girl Scout Troop 37 gathered inside Towamensing Elementary, leader Betsy Mattes glanced outside. It was beginning to rain, but that wouldn't stop these girls."What helps trees grow?" asked Mattes. The Scouts, currently in second through eighth grade, began shouting answers."Water!" one girl offered."Sun!" said another.While both were correct, these trees would only get one vital element this day: water, and lots of it."These will be very healthy trees," she joked, leading the girls outside into a light rain.As the group carried shovels, trowels, potting soil and baby pine trees toward the front of the school, Mattes expressed appreciation for the council's donation of trees."It's a way for us to give back to the school," she said, noting that Towamensing Elementary lets the troop meet regularly in their building.Other Palmerton Girl Scout troops planting trees this month include Troop 3127 and 3580, both led by Joyce Borger. These troops planted trees at Jerusalem UCC Church in Trachsville.