“Together we can make a difference; together we will make a difference, and that includes you.”

No one can deny the impact that Dr. Jane Goodall has had on our world. Her name alone conjures the image of adventure, breaking glass ceilings, and an unparalleled devotion to saving and sustaining the earth. Goodall’s origin story can be read almost anywhere, but to hear her tell it at the beginning of WildChina and Roots and Shoot’s workshop for young women “Breaking Into Sustainability: Women’s Empowerment Through Travel,” the most important elements were her self education, encouraging mother, her ability to work and save money as a waitress, and the mentorship of a paleontologist.

As she traveled more and saw how humans were inflicting damage on their earth and changing the world around them for the worse, she started The Jane Goodall Institute, which includes Roots and Shoots. With this pandemic, an ongoing climate crisis, the extinction of plants and animals, social problems all around, Goodall told her online audience, it’s even more important for young women to go out and develop conservation programs in different parts of the world. In case anyone watching was feeling like they don’t have enough to offer, Goodall went on, in a speech I’ve heard her express numerous times but which never fails to speak to me in some new way:

“Every day you live, you make some impact on the planet. You make a choice, as to what you buy and eat and where. Ask yourself if it harmed the environment, if it was cruel to animals, if it’s cheap because of unequal wages paid somewhere. And if those things are true then don’t buy the product. We all can make a difference. And if we all make a difference, then there is hope for our future and the future of our children.”

Although anyone could watch this workshop, the three live speakers spoke from their experience with young women specifically, especially since Hongxiang Huang from China House told us that 80% of his colleagues, interns, and young students are all young women. Hongxiang works to cultivate global citizens among Chinese youth, as he believes that “Young Chinese people have a special role they can communicate with NGOs [Non-government organizations], western media, the local community, and [they]can create a bridge between China and the outside world. When we bring more Chinese people into the global sustainable environment, they will bring improvement.”

Mei Zhang of WildChina cautions that young women drawn to sustainable travel should not limit themselves to experience in the academic field. “Any skills you learn [on a trip]will add to your portfolio: delivering mail, recording sounds of mammal sounds, moving equipment…any job you can get, get it. You are so early on, have fun with it. Pick the island of your choice, pick the beach of your choice, and just go there. Maybe you’re working in bars, but go where the opportunities take you. Of course, be safe,” she hastily adds with a smile. “But build up your skillset. Practice your own elevator pitch” to show organizations how you can be helpful to them.

The third panelist was Shelley Bragg of Good Travel, based in New Zealand. She encourages young women to dig deep and figure out where they’re most passionate because that’s where they’ll naturally put the most energy. “Take whatever opportunities you have to meet new people and take chances, take opportunities to learn as opposed to earn. Whatever can help you get your foot in the door will be valuable.”

Zhang reiterated that idea, telling the story of a young woman who put her passion towards hiking The Great Wall and documenting the plants she found there. She networked and showed her personal commitment and talents on her blog before she asked for contacts to NGOs, and that worked well for her, as she already showed her talents and how she could be of value to an organization.

Hongxiang cautioned viewers to do their due diligence in researching organizations as well, saying if you have to pay for an internship or volunteer opportunity, those are not real internships or volunteers. That doesn’t mean they are bad or won’t be useful to you, but you are getting into something that isn’t what it seems and so should be extra careful about your expectations. “Go beyond their marketing to see what they really are,” he warns.

Then someone asked the question you don’t normally hear in an introductory workshop: How to prevent the white savior complex when people travel, looking to only have an experience that benefits them versus the local community?

Huang works with young people to “Help them understand the diversity, not to see the world as developed and not developed. The world is not a hierarchy – we are just different. We try to prepare the students with a lot of courses for someone to learn about these things before they go.”

Bragg added that even if their intent is good, all travelers must remember that “We are also not the experts in many communities that we visit. We try to find a local partner on the ground that is in that community and we let them take the lead. What activities should we do? What does the community want to show us and then we follow that. We find that helps us navigate those spaces well.”

This barely scratches the surface of the useful advice doled out by these experts, however, and you can still watch the workshop yourself. They do ask that if you view it, please make a donation of any size to Roots & Shoots.

KEEP READING: Slowing Down to Enjoy the Sun: A Forest School State of Mind

Images: Canva, the Jane Goodall Institute

“Everything led in the most natural way, it seems now, to that magical invitation to Africa in 1957 … My mission was to get close to the chimpanzees, to live among them, to be accepted.”

These words are spoken by renowned primatologist and conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, in the opening moments of her eponymous documentary. The film, which was produced by National Geographic in 2017 and pieced together from over 100 hours of footage shot in the 1960s, thought lost to time until it was rediscovered in 2014, offers a rare glimpse into the early life and career of one of the most fascinating and groundbreaking scientists of the 20th century. 

Dr. Goodall’s pioneering research into the behavior of primates, and specifically, chimpanzees, constitutes one of the largest leaps in how we understand our distant relatives, since the earth-shattering breakthroughs of Darwin himself. And what made this titan of wildlife particularly compelling was not only her willingness to tread deep into uncharted territories of scientific inquiry, but into uncharted territories of the natural world, having lived amongst her subjects for long stretches at a time while gaining their trust and earning their respect.

Moreover, her first foray into the jungles of Gombe, Tanzania was not as a trained professional carrying out her life’s work, but as secretary to a scientist who brought Dr. Goodall along due to her passion for animals and the fact that she could provide insights untainted by the dominant scientific theories of the time.

Needless to say, she was a young woman in a man’s world, which was further obscured by its relocation to the remote wilderness. Yet she went on, in no uncertain terms, to completely revolutionize humanity.

And so it is that when you get to be in the presence of a figure such as Dr. Goodall, you are truly in the presence of all that is great and, in the purest sense of the word, inspiring, about the human spirit. Therefore, when over 600 folks, young and old, from across Beijing, packed into Harrow Beijing’s auditorium this past Wednesday (Nov 13) for “An Evening with Jane,” the excitement, reverence, and admiration was palpable.

The event — which was organized by the British Chamber of Commerce in China, and supported by Roots and Shoots, ConocoPhillips, the British Embassy, Beijing Field Studies, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Harrow Beijing — featured a screening of the documentary, some powerful words from the guest of honor, and a Q & A. 

Touching on everything from raising her own child on the plains of the Serengeti and readjusting to life in Britain after months on assignment, to being chased by buffalo and the time her students were kidnapped by a rebel faction in the Congo, this was one lecture that certainly had it all. And despite the fact that Dr. Goodall talked about the catastrophic effects of climate change, and the drastic measures that we must take to ensure the preservation of natural worlds for generations to come, she spoke with a sense of optimism, perhaps buoyed by the fact that there were so many young people in attendance, who were entirely rapt by her presence and words.

Likewise, when asked about the discrimination she faced as a woman in the field, Dr. Goodall struck a lighthearted tone. Citing an oft-repeated story about people claiming at the time that, given her lack of scientific credentials, and all but ignoring the amount of dedicated hours she put into her work, she was only famous because of her legs, the audience member posed the question, “Does this piss you off? And what other obstacles have you faced in your career because of your gender?”

In reply, Dr. Goodall stated that, “The legs thing is kind of funny actually, because if someone is told today, ‘you’re only famous because of your legs,’ that’s really insulting and disgusting. But when people said, ‘she’s only famous because of [National] Geographic covers and her legs, I thought, well if that’s going to give me money to do my research, thank you legs!” Adding, “You have to admit, they were pretty good legs,” to the audience’s delight.

And therein lies the beauty and the heart of who Dr. Goodall is. No matter the challenges she faced as a woman, no matter the challenges she faced in alien and hostile environments, and no matter the challenges we face today as stewards of a rapidly deteriorating planet, with a little bit of humor, a little bit of patience, and a whole lot of determination, our abilities to shift paradigms, both collectively and individually, is always within reach. 

To get involved with Dr. Goodall’s organization, Roots and Shoots, click here.

Photos: British Chamber of Commerce

In 1960 Jane Goodall traveled from England to Tanzania and ventured into the then little-known world of wild chimpanzees. Today Dr. Goodall’s name is synonymous with chimpanzees, nature conservation, and human rights. The Gombe chimp observation that Dr. Goodall started in 1960 is now the world’s longest-running continuous wildlife research project.

Prior to her research, the world knew very little about chimpanzees and even less about their unique genetic kinship to humans. She took an unorthodox approach in her field research, immersing herself in their habitat and their lives to experience their complex society as a neighbor rather than a distant observer and coming to understand them not only as a species, but also as individuals with emotions and long-term bonds. Dr. Jane Goodall’s discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools is considered one of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century scholarship and transformed our understanding of chimpanzees as well as redefined the relationship between humans and animals in ways that continue to emanate around the world.

Today, Dr. Jane Goodall travels around the world, writing, speaking, and spreading hope through action, encouraging each of us to “use the gift of our life to make the world a better place. “As a conservationist, humanitarian, and crusader for the ethical treatment of animals, she is a global force for compassion and a UN Messenger of Peace.

Dr. Jane Goodall with baby chimpanzee at Gombe Stream Research Center.

Every day, Dr. Jane Goodall exemplifies the difference one person can make. She inspires hundreds of thousands of young people to take action in their own lives and communities through the Roots & Shoots youth program. Now 100 countries strong and growing, Roots & Shoots is an unprecedented multiplying force in conservation, giving young people the knowledge and confidence to act on their beliefs and make a difference by being part of something bigger than themselves.

Dr. Jane Goodall has been planning on visiting China for the past year and this November she’ll be traveling to Chengdu and Beijing.

The team at Roots & Shoots Beijing would like to show her the creativity and passion of young people in China by offering a chance to meet Dr. Goodall in person. Submit an article describing what you have done in the past, create a sustainable plan for the future, or be as creative as you like and let Jane and the world hear your voice.

For more info and to participate, scan the QR code below to submit your entry. Three lucky winners will be chosen to present their plan to Dr. Jane Goodall in person!

Source: janegoodall.org, Roots & Shoots Beijing
Photo: janegoodall.org

This month we speak to Roots & Shoots’ Lucy Liu, who is the International Programme Coordinator, about the organization’s work in Beijing.

Lucy Liu (left) and the Roots & Shoots team

beijingkids: What is Roots & Shoots?
LL: World-renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall founded the Roots & Shoots Programme (R&S) along with local students in Tanzania in 1991. It is an international hands-on environmental education program that is operating in more than 80 countries. The program launched in Beijing in 1994, and there are currently more than 1,000 active R&S school groups throughout China. Through R&S, we encourage youths, enterprises, and individuals to address pressing “green issues” of today, with a focus on environmental conservation, animal welfare and community building.

bjk: Can you tell us a bit more about the work that you are doing locally in Beijing?
LL: We work with the various local Roots & Shoots school groups through service learning, but we also work with corporates and local communities to raise awareness and effect change. Some of the projects we will focus on in 2019 include promoting sustainable living, tackling climate change, reducing plastic pollution and protecting reserves and wildlife in China. We will also be unveiling a new summer camp in Kenya for students and their families to experience conservation and protection of wildlife in Africa. Campers will visit Dr. Goodall’s Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, learn how to survive in the wild, patrol with rangers and understand the impact of wildlife poaching and trafficking.

bjk: Can you tell us about some of the projects and initiatives that are happening in Beijing schools?
LL: All of our Roots & Shoots groups work very hard to make an impact and we are very proud of them all. The winner of our 2018 Roots & Shoots Achievement Award went to the International School of Beijing (ISB) Roots & Shoots group. The group consists of almost 50 members and is supervised by 4 teachers. Together, they organized environmental actions including an Innovation Expo and Upcycling Carnival; raised funds and food for shelter animals through their Holiday Hounds project and Animal Awareness Week; and brought together the community through selling food, bubble teas, roses and even luggage tags to raise funds for their sister school in Sri Lanka as well as migrant children in China.

Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) has also done spectacularly in our Zero Ivory Competition to protect elephants from poaching by calling on people to pledge not to consume ivory. The students collected approximately 4,000 pledges.

bjk: What changes do you see in international schools in terms of their environmental awareness and commitment to environmental issues?
LL: I have seen students grow from strength to strength in their years of being a “young shoot”, to taking on difficult leadership roles and tackling challenging environmental issues within their school and community. Some of our Roots & Shoots group members continue their enthusiasm by studying environmental science at university or working in the environmental sector. When you see youth striving towards something they are passionate about; when their eyes light up after a brilliant idea pops into mind; when they’ve successfully planned, launched and executed a conservation project, that’s when you know what you are doing is worth something.

I have seen teachers work just as hard as the students in promoting environmental awareness in their schools, providing the students with strong leadership and guidance. Without the teachers’ dedication and support, the international schools’ service learning programs will not be where they are today.

bjk: In what ways can individuals or communities become more involved in what you are doing here in Beijing?
LL: People can start their own Roots & Shoots group in schools, offices, clubs, et cetera, and can also support our work by donating to Roots & Shoots. We always welcome more volunteers to help us carry out Dr. Goodall’s mission in China.

bjk: What are your hopes for humanity and our relationship with the planet?
LL: In Dr. Goodall’s words, “the greatest danger to our future is apathy,” and apathy is so prevalent in our society today. We must wake up from our state of emotional numbness and emerge from feeling too small to have impact. We have achieved more in the last century than our ancestors can imagine. Surely, we have the capacity to also right our wrongs? The hardest step is admitting that we have wronged our planet Earth. That’s why the awareness-raising work of our Roots & Shoots groups is so important. It plants seeds of compassion in people’s hearts. Today, they are aware. Tomorrow, they will care. I hope that we will soon find it in our hearts to care for the only home we have.

Lucy Liu (pictured right) at BCIS

Action Steps

Those who should get in touch
– Students and teachers who would like to start their own R&S group in their school
– Families who wish to learn more about our conservation camp in Kenya
– Corporates for sponsorship and CSR
– Individuals who wish to volunteer or apply for internship

Email lucy@goodall.cn for more information.

This article first appeared in the beijingkids March 2019 Sustainability issue
Photos: Kipp Whittaker, Courtesy of BCIS 

Roots & Shoots (R&S) believes in youth and their power to change the world into a better place. Children around the world form R&S groups in order to take on projects, dealing with three main topics: Environment, Animals, Community. Last week’s blog covered the preparations by Beijing City International School (BCIS) for the R&S International School Summit to be held on November 13, 2014 at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) .

This week we will focus on the International School of Beijing (ISB) and the achievements that they are planning on presenting to Jane Goodall at the Summit.

The first R&S Group at ISB was established in 2006 and after eight years they have grown into a community of over 70 students working together for the environment, the animals and the people.

Being a large group, they have the advantage of focusing on many different issues. For example, a project helping the environment is their “Planting at Hope Healing Home”event that they organize annually. They create a positive impact on the nature and on the community, as the HHH is an orphanage taking unclaimed babies and providing them with medical care and surgery. The students from ISB plant flowers, trees and shrubs to make the environment at the orphanage more appealing.

Another environmental issue ISB dealt with this year was the increase of garbage in their community. To combat this negative development, they organized small garbage clean-ups during their meeting time in order to improve the surroundings for their school and the community.

As part of their work with wildlife, the ISB R&S students also frequently visit the Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education center, a local animal shelter. There the students help in different ways such as with volunteering, financial support and public awareness. They come to the shelter themselves to clean animal stables and take care of the animals.

Furthermore, they hold several fundraisers each year, donating over RMB 35,000  last year alone. They also design posters about the animals at the shelter and help raise awareness about the animals thereat spring fair booths and through daily announcements. In addition, they take photos of the animals and put them on postcards, selling them during the winter season. The money raised from each postcard will be used to sponsor that animal with food and medical care.

This is but a few of the many projects and activities organized by the ISB R&S Group. As the largest group in Beijing, they will have a lot more projects to share with Jane Goodall in November.

The Summit is a great way to show everyone what Roots & Shoots Groups are doing and R&S is very excited to see all of the unique ideas of students who are willing to help the world. We’re very happy for ISB and their contributions to R&S, and look forward to their projects in the future!

Roots & Shoots is an international hands-on environmental and humanitarian education program that is about making positive change happen – for the environment, for animals and for our communities. Started in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students who wanted to make a difference in their community, R&S is now a growing global program based on the principle that everyone has the ability to bring about change. For more information, visit our website www.genyuya.org.cn/en/

Photos: R&S ISB

This November, Dr. Jane Goodall, the renowned British researcher and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and its youth-led community action program, Roots & Shoots, will visit Beijing. A summit will be held at the Western Academy of Beijing on November 13, which will include, apart from a speech and Q&A with Jane Goodall herself, presentations by the different student groups about their projects. This blog series will follow the work of different school groups in preparation for the big event.

Roots & Shoots builds on the legacy and vision of Dr. Goodall and places the power and responsibility for creating community-based solutions to big challenges in the hands of young people.  Through the program, students around the world map their communities to identify specific challenges their neighborhoods face.  From there, they prioritize the problems, develop a plan for a solution, and take action. 

Roots & Shoots student groups at international schools across Beijing are the perfect examples of these community-based efforts. Highly active, they have carried out projects and campaigns that have had huge impacts in their own communities and beyond. On November 13, they will all meet each other – and Dr. Goodall – to share each other’s stories at the Roots & Shoots Beijing International School Summit.

One of the schools that will be there is Beijing City International School (BCIS). Students at BCIS, with class ranges from grade 6-12, will present projects that they are currently working on, focusing on three key areas: Their organic garden, their No Shark Fin campaign and the issue of 2nd hand smoking.

The organic garden was created two years ago, first in the secondary school, then later with the elementary school opening a garden as well. Every week they take care of them, growing various plants and herbs such as lavender, mint, basil and tomatoes for use and sales for R&S fundraising. They plan to give Dr. Goodall a selection of dried herbs from the garden as a gift. They also hope to make postcards depicting the garden, collaborating with the BCIS Aqua Pulse Photography Club.

The students hope to showcase their involvement in the No Shark Fin Project, which helps to spread awareness and educate the public about the harmful effects of eating shark fin on marine ecosystems and the treatment of sharks during the finning process. They will present their progress in the project, including sharing their pledges collected from the public, making a poster for the Summit, and sharing their trip to swim with the sharks at the Blue Zoo, which they hope will happen by the end of the year.

Lastly, they will present their project on 2^nd hand smoking, designed to spread awareness to their fellow students and the wider public about effects of 2^nd hand smoke in China, and to advocate the banning of smoking in public spaces. The students plan to present a sample poster they will distribute around the school will helpful information and statistics on the issue.

The Summit will bring together a set of students who, though diverse in culture and nationality, all share a common goal of saving the environment. Roots & Shoots is looking forward with great excitement to hear about their work.

Roots & Shoots is an international hands-on environmental and humanitarian education program that is about making positive change happen – for the environment, for animals and for our communities. Started in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students who wanted to make a difference in their community, R&S is now a growing global program based on the principle that everyone has the ability to bring about change. For more information, visit our website www.genyuya.org.cn/en/

Photo: Courtesy of Jane Goodall Foundation

This past Saturday marked the first student-organized Roots & Shoots Earth Day Event hosted by BSB Shunyi. The event celebrated the work of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots organization on its 20th anniversary in China. Today also marks World Earth Day, an event celebrated by nearly 200 countries across the world to raise awareness of environmental issues.

R&S student groups from both international and local schools in Beijing participated in Saturday’s Earth Day event. Participating schools included YCIS, BCIS, ISB (although ISB was unable to attend), and BSB. The focus of the day was action through activities designed to reflect the core values of R&S: the environment, animals, and the community.

The day started with a presentation from Lei Chen Wong, the executive director of R&S. She spoke about the organization’s mission and highlighted some of its achievements to date. The students then took part in a scavenger hunt and watched “Mythbusters” presentation about sharks by SinoScuba founder Steven Schwankert, who invited R&S students to join him for scuba diving in the future.

As well as introducing the school groups to each other, the event also provided a platform for to exchange ideas for future fundraising activities. The commitment and passion of the students was clear throughout the day. This event also acted as a bridge between international and local schools.

R&S works with over 600 schools across China and is one of the world’s largest environmental organizations, currently active in 132 countries. Dr. Jane Goodall started the R&S program in 1991 to educate young people about the environment, animals, and the community. In 2013, 350 student-led projects were started in Northern China alone, reaching 250,000 people in their own schools and communities.

From organic growing, which teaches children about food sources, to the clear water project, animal welfare education, and environmental education for migrant kids, R&S’ vision is a greener and more sustainable future.

Jane Goodall, who celebrates her 80th birthday this year, will be visiting Beijing in November for the Roots & Shoots Summit. This year, it will be Goodall herself presenting the achievement awards to students for their environmental projects.

To learn more about Roots & Shoots and how you can get involved, contact info@jgichina.org or 6778 3115/5802/2757. Click here for their website.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photo courtesy of R&S