O’Fallon High graduate Simpson earns Gold Award for project on endangered turtle

Enthusiastic about marine biology, Jackie Simpson has landed in Hawaii to earn a college degree and soared as a Gold Award winner from the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois.

Simpson earned the prestigious award by championing conservation efforts for the locally native endangered species — the softshell turtle.

“I’ve been interested in marine biology forever,” she said.

Simpson joined the Girl Scouts in third grade, as a Brownie. Her mom, Rosemarie, was a leader of her sister Amelia’s troop. She has one brother, Joshua, also involved in Scouts. In fact, his Troop 85 helped Jackie with her project.

Jackie said she was impressed the Girl Scouts were “ecology-minded” and that they allowed her to pursue her interests.

“They are always there to protect the environment,” Simpson said.

Established in 1916, the Gold Award is the Girl Scouts’ highest honor and is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership.

“The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable — earned by a high school Girl Scout who works to address an issue she’s passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and lasting change,” said Erin Johnson, communication coordinator for the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois.

“Whether it’s on a local, national, or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to significant challenges. They don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good,” Johnson said.

“Throughout my Girl Scout Gold Award project, I learned to overcome my shyness and persevere to accomplish my goals,” Simpson said.

Simpson’s project focuses on softshell turtle

The area turtle population became Simpson’s focus as a senior at O’Fallon Township High School, where she graduated in May 2019.

“They’re pretty darn cute,” she said.

The smooth softshell turtle can be found along the Mississippi River drainage system from Louisiana up north to North Dakota as well as other river systems. They can be found near lakes, ponds and marshes. Not to be confused with the spiny softshell turtle, the smooth softshell turtle is the most aquatic. They hibernate from October to March, and can often be found basking in the sun in the spring.

“I wanted to do something marine biology-related, because that’s what I’m most interested in,” Simpson said.

Jackie contacted the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, which connected her to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Audubon Center at Riverlands. She then partnered with the Audubon Center Riverlands, which is located in West Alton, Missouri, and operates with the mission “to connect people to the beauty and significance of the Mississippi River and the Great Rivers confluence, to inspire conservation of the river’s rich diversity in birds, wildlife and other natural resources, and to support healthy, vibrant communities.”

There, she helped wildlife biologists collect data on the herpetology arrays — turtle hatchland pitfall traps used to collect data to monitor local turtle populations.

This work at the Audubon Center at Riverlands helps conservation efforts of the smooth softshell turtle, which is endangered in Illinois and native only to North America.

Simpson also built a realistic diorama of a herpetology array that is now kept in the museum area of the Audubon Center at Riverlands, which helps visitors learn more about the smooth softshell turtle and the conservation efforts underway.

In addition, she planned curriculum for a patch Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts can earn that helps them learn more about local ecosystems and what they can do to protect them, as well as designed a patch they can wear on their uniforms.

Raising awareness paramount for OTHS graduate

Simpson also guided a group of Girl Scouts to earn the patch and organize a troop of Boy Scouts to clear invasive plant species near one of the trap sites.

“This project also further empowered me to make a difference in the world by showing me how much is already being done to preserve the fragile ecosystems that have an impact, not only around the Audubon Center but all over the continent with the migrating species of birds, fish, and so on,” Simpson said.

“Raising awareness about conservation and humans’ detrimental impact to our environment can be applied to anywhere in the world,” she added. “Although the smooth softshell turtle is only locally endangered, there are many other species that are so endangered that they are nearing extinction.”

Simpson said a higher level of collective awareness about these topics will motivate people to take action.

“It will make a difference in improving the health of our earth for our sake as well as that of the overall biodiversity by attempting to prevent as many species’ extinctions as possible through conservation,” she said.

“The general public is not as aware about the environment as they should be. Many manmade sources of environmental destruction result in habitat loss of all kinds of different organisms that occupy crucial roles in local ecosystems.”

Jackie’s dad, Robert Simpson, was a pilot in the Air Force when they moved to Illinois, and they have lived in Lebanon and O’Fallon. He is now in the Reserves.

Simpson readying for second semester of college, discusses hobbies

While in high school, she was a diver on the OTHS swim team and a member of the Outdoor Club. She is trying to assimilate to being a freshman away at college.

“It’s very far from home. I’m not used to it,” she said.

But she is eager to tackle the upcoming second semester.

“I am super-excited about my courses next semester,” she said. “Yeah, it’s a ton of work.”

In her spare time, she likes to go to the beach, and one of her great joys is to find a music room to play piano in, as she has been playing since age 9.

“It’s my favorite thing to do in the world,” she said.

She would like to do research as a career.

“I don’t know what on yet,” she said.

Simpson hopes to stay involved with Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a council serving 10,007 girls and engaging 3,686 adult volunteers in 40 1/2 counties in Southern Illinois. The Girl Scouts organization is the world’s largest leadership development organization for girls.

“I would like to stay involved in some way,” Simpson said. “The Girl Scouts opened up opportunities for me, an opportunity to get involved with people who have common interests and things I could make a difference in.”

For more information, or to join the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, call 800-345-6858 or email: customercare@gsofsi.org.