Roots & Shoots Overview

Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore)

June 2008

Introduction

Roots & Shoots (R&S) started in Tanzania in 1991 when Dr. Jane Goodall met with a small group of students who wanted to take action to make our world a better place. Since then, Roots & Shoots has turned into a global network of more than 8,000 Roots & Shoots groups in nearly 100 countries.

What Do Roots & Shoots Groups Do

Roots & Shoots members undertake projects to make a positive difference for people, animals and the environment. Members participate as individuals, in local groups and as part of a global network. Projects are based on what the Roots & Shoots group members want to focus on, and on community needs. The activities are planned and implemented by students. Students who belong to Roots & Shoots groups also have the opportunity to network with R&S members in Singapore and from around the world to gain a deeper understanding of the global impact of their actions. Projects organized by groups in Singapore currently include:

• Recycling paper, aluminum and plastic

• Park clean-ups and beach clean-ups

• Preserving biodiversity at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

• Reducing energy consumption

• Environmental or science education for young students & the visually handicapped

• Protecting marine wildlife and coral reefs

There are many other projects, since each group targets doing at least 3 projects each year.

Can an Existing Environmental, Conservation or Green Club join Roots & Shoots

Yes! You can even keep your same name and members when you join. Becoming part of Roots & Shoots enables you become part of a global network, get more information and ideas about projects and link up with other Roots & Shoots groups in Singapore.

How is Roots & Shoots Different

Joining Roots & Shoots provides distinct advantages, including:

• Resources based on global best practices, including:

  • Templates for students and teachers

  • JGI and Roots & Shoots activity guides, handbooks and newsletters

  • Discussion boards & project database showcase activities globally

• Global events and networking for students though:

  • Participation in global, regional and local R&S or JGIS events

  • Global campaigns, such as “Rebirth the Earth” & “Reusable Bags”

  • Partnerships in Understanding & other resources for virtual partners

• Focusing on relationships between each other, the environment and other animals

  • The inclusion of “each other” is different from other groups and has a greater impact

At the same time, R&S and JGIS work with other environmental organizations on cooperative efforts. Since we’re all working towards the same goal, we want to cooperate.

Roots & Shoots Activities in Singapore

We have expanded from 2 Roots & Shoots groups in schools in Singapore 2006 to 14 in mid-2008, and the number continues to grow rapidly. More importantly, activities organized by these groups to make the world a better place continue to increase.

To expand Roots & Shoots, further, the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore), which is the parent organization for Roots & Shoots in Singapore, organizes activities including:

• Outreach programs to schools, supported by MOE, to sign up more schools

• Student-led networking sessions among all schools or school clusters to network and share best practices

• Participation in student conferences and leadership activities abroad

• Joint activities with other environmental and conservation groups

In June 2009 we plan to organize an Asia-wide Roots & Shoots conference where groups can network, share ideas and learn about how to make even more of a difference. Activities leading up to the conference include setting up a core organizing group, developing conference themes, planning the agenda, inviting speakers, communications and organizing conference logistics.

Support for Roots & Shoots (R&S) Groups

New R&S groups often wonder where to start. New and existing R&S groups you can:

• Use our Mentor Program: Our new mentoring program is designed to help new groups start up. You can request that teachers or students from existing Roots & Shoots groups provide ideas, make a presentation or meet with your group.

• Use the Web Site: The web site is very helpful. You can get lists of activities, set up a partnership, join a discussion board, find out about campaigns or obtain other information

• Download Booklets: You can download a multitude of booklets including “Starter Kit”, “Project Planning”, “Project Ideas for Cities” and “Discussion Boards 101”.

How Do I Join

You can register on the web site at www.rootsandshoots.org.

More Information

For more information about Roots & Shoots, visit the web site at www.rootsandshoots.org or contact the president of JGIS, which is the ‘umbrella’ organization for JGIS and R&S:

Richard Hartung, President, JGIS

Tel: 6323-5188 or 9695-8210 Email:

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About Dr. Jane Goodall

In the summer of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area's chimpanzee population. Although it was unheard of for a woman to venture into the wilds of the African forest, the trip meant the fulfillment of Jane Goodall's childhood dream. Jane’s work in Tanzania would prove more successful than anyone had imagined. One day in October 1960 she saw chimps David Graybeard and Goliath strip leaves off twigs to fashion tools for fishing termites from a nest. Scientists thought humans were the only species to make tools, but here was evidence to the contrary. On hearing of Jane's observation, her mentor Louis Leakey said: "Now we must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as humans." Also in her first year at Gombe, Jane observed chimps hunting and eating bushpigs and other animals, disproving theories that chimpanzees were primarily vegetarians and fruit eaters who only occasionally supplemented their diet with insects and small rodents.

In 1965, Jane earned her Ph.D in Ethology from Cambridge University. Soon thereafter, she returned to Tanzania to continue research and to establish the Gombe Stream Research Centre. It is hard to overstate the degree to which Dr. Goodall changed and enriched the field of primatology. Dr. Goodall has received scores of honors. In April 2002 Secretary-General Annan named Dr. Goodall a United Nations “Messenger of Peace.” In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II named Dr. Goodall a Dame of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knighthood. Dr. Goodall's list of publications is extensive, including two overviews of her work at Gombe—In the Shadow of Man and Through a Window—as well as two autobiographies in letters and a spiritual autobiography, Reason for Hope. More information is available at www.janegoodall.org.