The Sweetest Way To Learn About Endangered Species? Girl Scout Cookies

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0800
Opinion

It's Girl Scout Cookie time and this year feels extra special in Louisville, Kentucky, where I live. Not only are Girl Scout cookies made by Little Brownie Bakers here in Louisville, but this year's cookie mascot has ties here as well.

Every year, the Girl Scouts' cookie program has a mascot which is chosen by vote. Scouts get to rally around an endangered or threatened species while they sell cookies and learn about wildlife conservation efforts, including how they can help in those efforts.

For 2026, the options were the American bison, the little brown bat, the black-footed ferret and the mountain goat. The black-footed ferret was the mascot winner, beating out its fellow American Prairie icon, the American bison. And the Louisville connection? There are only four zoos that work together on a Species Survival Plan for the black-footed ferret along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. The Louisville Zoo happens to be one of them.
Updated: Fri Jan 16, 2026

It's Girl Scout Cookie time and this year feels extra special in Louisville, Kentucky, where I live. Not only are Girl Scout cookies made by Little Brownie Bakers here in Louisville, but this year's cookie mascot has ties here as well.

Every year, the Girl Scouts' cookie program has a mascot which is chosen by vote. Scouts get to rally around an endangered or threatened species while they sell cookies and learn about wildlife conservation efforts, including how they can help in those efforts.

For 2026, the options were the American bison, the little brown bat, the black-footed ferret and the mountain goat. The black-footed ferret was the mascot winner, beating out its fellow American Prairie icon, the American bison. And the Louisville connection? There are only four zoos that work together on a Species Survival Plan for the black-footed ferret along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. The Louisville Zoo happens to be one of them.

Black-footed ferrets are one of North America's most endangered mammals, and since the Endangered Species Act is currently in jeopardy under the Trump administration, education and awareness campaigns such as the Girls Scout Cookie mascot are vital.

Girl Scouts of America has over 1 million scout members and close to 750,000 adult volunteers. By incorporating education about the plight of the black-footed ferret into the cookie program, scouts can make a real difference now and in the future.

Recently, the Louisville Zoo hosted hundreds of Girl Scouts to kick off the annual cookie sales drive and Zoo Director Dan Maloney said, "Honoring the black-footed ferret (BFF) as this year's official Girl Scout Cookie Program mascot is more than just fun — it's a powerful way to connect young people with conservation."

Education about BFFs is incorporated into Girl Scout troop programming and activities. And Moloney said, "Working with the Girl Scouts to bring awareness about the challenges BFFs face helps inspire others to care about wildlife and wild places."

When it comes to the proceeds of the cookie sales, that decision stays with each individual troop. A significant portion of cookie profits stay within a troop that sells them and each sale is tied directly to a Girl Scout. Even when you purchase cookies online, you're never buying from a general stock that goes to an overall fund. This means that each individual troop has the power to decide how to use that money. They can pay for dues, fund camp days and yes, they can decide to donate a portion to conservation efforts.

Plus, individual scouts who sell more than 800 boxes of cookies can also decide to forgo their merchandise reward and donate the reward value to preserve one acre of black-footed ferret wild habitat. I want to meet the Girl Scout who accomplishes this goal. It is a grand sacrifice since rewards are super-cute BFF-themed things such as plushies, pillows, lanyards and keychains. And yes, there are even black-footed ferret patches. It all makes me wish I was a Girl Scout again.

So remember, when you buy a box of Girl Scout Cookies you're not just supporting your local troop, but you're also supporting wildlife education while helping scouts learn how to be better stewards of our natural world.

A black-footed ferret poses with boxes of Girl Scout Cookies at the Louisville Zoo. Photo credit: Louisville Zoo