Holliston Roots & Shoots Annual Dog Bath

The Holliston Roots & Shoots group in Holliston, MA hosted their second annual dog bath last week! The event was a great success, raising more than $1,000 for the Bay Path Humane Society and Holliston Pet Meadows.

Check out an article on the event that was featured in the local news, and a YouTube video clip of the kids in action!!

Area Youth Groups Gather for Tree Planting in Dorchester

Teens Work Together to Beautify Neighborhoods

and Protect the Environment

Dorchester, Massachusetts - More than 30 local teenagers teamed up on July 15th to plant 18 trees in the Wainwright Park area of Dorchester. The young people are members of Breath of Life Dorchester (B.O.L.D.) Teens and Roots & Shoots New England. BOLD Teens is a teen peer leadership group made up of youth ranging in age from 14 to18. Group members represent 10 different Boston high schools. Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute’s global humanitarian and environmental youth program.

This neighborhood project aims to foster community spirit, help reduce air pollution and shade area homes in the summer by planting trees and plants across Dorchester. The project also contributes to the Roots & Shoots international campaign, “Rebirth the Earth: Trees for Tomorrow.” This campaign is helping Roots & Shoots members in Tanzania start new tree nurseries while encouraging groups in the United States and other countries to learn about deforestation and take action by planting trees in their own neighborhoods.

“Planting trees really makes communities more beautiful and meeting other people who care about the environment is always fun,” said Nicole Coakley of Medford High School Roots & Shoots.

Dorchester has the second highest rate of asthma in the City of Boston, in large part due to the more than 150,000 vehicles traveling through the community each day. This figure includes all the vehicles on Interstate 93, which cuts right through the neighborhood. Trees not only improve air quality, but are also known to enhance residents’ quality of life and lower crime rates.

The groups planted four magnolia trees in Wainwright Park as well as more than 15 trees and flowering plants in the front yards of residents living close to the park. The residents have pledged to maintain the trees in order to support the community project.

This spring, B.O.L.D. Teens was awarded a “Promoting Engagement in World Harmony” mini grant from Roots & Shoots New England to purchase the magnolia trees and flowering plants for the community project. B.O.L.D. Teens was awarded the largest of the 2008 Roots & Shoots mini grants because their project addresses not only the neighborhood’s environmental issues, but its social concerns as well.

About Roots & Shoots

Founded in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students, the Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for our communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in almost 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action. Through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference across the globe. For more information, please visit www.rootsandshoots.org.

About the Jane Goodall Institute

Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues Dr. Goodall’s pioneering research of chimpanzee behavior—research that transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It also is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and the Roots & Shoots education program, which has groups in almost 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.janegoodall.org.

About B.O.L.D. Teens:

B.O.L.D. stands for Breath of Life Dorchester. We are a youth-led organization concerned with the health, environment and safety of our community. We are youth between the ages 14-18 working to improve the quality of life in our community through education, advocacy and activism. We serve our community through civic engagement and partnerships to effectively improve the health and safety in our neighborhoods. Find out more at www.boldteens.org.

Youth on YouTube

With 100 youth from around the world gathered at Jane Goodall's Global Youth Summit, participants had the chance to create public service announcements (PSAs) about water issues, poverty and wildlife conservation. With the help of the Pearson Foundation's Digital Workshops, each group created a PSA that ran from 30 seconds to one minute, resulting in 25 incredible video clips.

For the month of July, one PSA will be uploaded every day to the Roots & Shoots YouTube Channel, and you definitely won't want to miss them!

Check out the first PSA here!

For more information about the making of the videos, along with a little bit about the makers of the PSA and the stories behind each piece, take a look at the Roots & Shoots Fellow blog.

Rebirth the Earth Campaign Deadline Set- Sept. 30!

Roots & Shoots members across the country have been raising money to support tree nurseries in Tanzania, and planting trees in the U.S. as part of our campaign to Rebirth the Earth. So far, $8,835 has been raised, and 2,144 trees have been planted in the U.S.. New England groups have raised $1,020 and planted 560 of the trees- great work!

As we come closer and closer to meeting our goal ($10,000 and 3,000 trees nationally), the campaign DEADLINE has just been set for Sept. 30, so gather some friends and spread the word- this summer is a perfect time to get outside and plant some trees!

If you want more information about Rebirth the Earth, be sure to visit the site below and track our progress toward meeting the goal! http://www.rootsandshoots.org/campaigns/trees

Roots & Shoots is seeking youth leaders!

Are your youth members committed to the Roots & Shoots philosophy?

New England Roots & Shoots is seeking four highly motivated high school aged youth to become members of the New England Youth Leadership Council (NEYLC). NEYLC members participate in the Roots & Shoots Youth Leadership Initiative, a wonderful opportunity for youth to gain training, tools and opportunities to develop into community leaders who can create positive local and global change. NEYLC members:

• Serve a two year term, with an average time commitment of 5-15 hours per month.
• Help promote national and regional campaigns such as Rebirth the Earth: Trees for Tomorrow and Peace Through the Arts.
• Have possible opportunities for regional, national and/or international travel.
• Plan and participate in regional events, conferences and summits.

Read more about the Youth Leadership Initiative at http://www.rootsandshoots.org/aboutus/ylc.

Please forward this message to any interested Roots & Shoots group member over the age of 14. To request an application, email us at either nerootsshoots@janegoodall.org or cellersick@janegoodall.org. The due date for returned applications is July 10.

Sprouts of Hope win GoGreen Award!

The city of Cambridge awarded the Sprouts of Hope the city's prestigious GoGreen award on May 22nd. The Sprouts of Hope are a middle school Roots & Shoots group based in Cambridge, Mass. They were honored for their work to reduce the waste from school lunches. They have lobbied the Cambridge city school board to replace the polystyrene trays in area schools and organized waste free lunch days at their school. They have also presented waste free lunch ideas and biodegradable tray alternatives at the Cambridge Science Festival.

Here's an article on the awards.


Great job, Sprouts!!

Update on helping quake victims

Roots & Shoots in Chengdu Requests Funds and Messages of Hope

On May 12, a devastating earthquake shook China's Sichuan Province. Thousands of people died or are missing, and more than 270,000 were injured, with an estimated five million people homeless. Many schools were destroyed, including one that had at least 900 students in it. The Roots & Shoots Cheng Du office has become a focal point for relief efforts in the region. Read more about it on the Roots & Shoots website: http://www.rootsandshoots.org/newsevents/.

Please respond to the plea for help from our Cheng Du office:

1. Raise money and send it to The American Red Cross, designating the China Earthquake as recipient. Here is the link:

http://www.redcross.org/news/in/profiles/Intl_profile_ChinaEarthquake.asp?s_src=pre_aspLink.

The American Red Cross will send your donations to the Red Cross Society of China, which has over 35,000 staff and volunteers on the ground providing medical support, food, water, tents and other essential items.

2. Work with your Roots & Shoots group to create Messages of Hope for the survivors of the earthquake. These messages of hope can be drawings, cards or letters. We have recruited a volunteer who will translate your Messages of Hope. Mail your Messages of Hope to:

Messages of Hope for China

Roots & Shoots New England

89 South St., LL02

Boston, MA 02111