When primatologist and environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall visited the
Cincinnati Zoo last month, she spent time talking to young "ambassadors"
who she hopes will act as the solid foundation, or roots, for
conservation, preservation and ultimately transformation around the
world.
Goodall's international efforts, known as
Roots & Shoots,
has several local groups, most school-based operations with one
exception: a new community-based model taking shape in Northside this
spring.
"We want to help kids and help the environment at the same time," says neighborhood activist Maureen Wood, who founded the
Green Ambassadors earlier this year.
Ambassadors, aged 18 years and younger, visited with Goodall at the zoo,
where they got to ask the legendary researcher questions about her work
and hear her hopes for nurturing global change through fun, educational
programs for young people.
Roots & Shoots programs have three areas of focus: the human
community, the environment and animals. The principle behind the name is
a natural one, best summed up by a Goodall quote:
"Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots
seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls.
Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on
our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of
thousands of young people around the world, can break through these
walls. We CAN change the world."
This summer, the Green Ambassadors Roots & Shoots group will host
two day-camps, from June 20 to July 10 and from July 18 to August 5. Fee
scales will depend on ongoing fundraising efforts to provide
scholarships for children who need them.
Do Good:
•
Tweet all about it. Find out environmental news and more via the official Roots & Shoots Twitter account.
•
Start a group. Roots & Shoots provides ideas and inspiration to start your own group in your school or community.
• Go to camp.
Email and sign your child up for a camp slot today.
By Elissa Yancey
Photo by Owen Hunter-Linville
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