Roots & Shoots past events — summer 2002

June / July / August 2002
Summer Days with Fauna's Roots & Shoots

by Rachelle Hansen
Fall 2002 newsletter

Our Fauna Roots & Shoots group was busy this summer with some exciting activities!

What is Roots & Shoots all about?

It is the Jane Goodall Institute's environmental and community service program. The Fauna Roots & Shoots group is part of worldwide organization of some 25,000 children who are making a difference through positive action. In it, you learn how to care for and interact with your environment and community. Here's how we do that at the Fauna chapter.

Gloria with the kids - June 2002

After a rainy week, Saturday, June 1st dawned bright and sunny. Anticipation was in the air! It was the first Roots & Shoots day of the summer. The day's activity was planting corn, sunflowers, peas and a great pumpkin patch! In the field, straight rows were measured and pegged out to prepare for the arrival of the R&S gardeners. The action started at 1:00 p.m. At the barns, we began by painting decorative garden pegs and stakes. The children learned about why planting is important for the renewal of the earth. We also shared the history of the Jack O'Lantern and some yummy recipes. Then it was out to the field to plant! Moms and Dads led the gardening teams, ranging in age from four to fourteen. The pumpkin patch was so muddy that everyone had take off their shoes and socks, and just dove in to dig holes for the seeds. This was a time parents happily said, "Go ahead, and get dirty"! Everyone worked hard, measuring, digging, seeding, raking, and hoeing. And the result? Living vibrant plants that will produce seeds for the animals and a bumper crop of pumpkins!

Saturday, July 6th marked our second R&S day, and it was a hot one! The afternoon kicked off talking about why birds, bats and butterflies are important to the environment. Not only are they wondrous to watch but, as pollinators, they are essential to the life cycles of plants and procreation! We learned that we can help them by providing habitat and houses for their protection and comfort! Creativity flowed, as bat boxes, butterfly and bird houses were decorated and transformed into works of art, fit for VIPs (very important pollinators) to move into! When we weren't sure where to locate the new houses, Nancy Davis led us on a "bird watch" walk to see Eastern Bluebirds and find the best places for their new homes. She also helped us identify other birds too, such as barn swallows, blue jays, gold finches, orioles, herons, and gannets. Everyone got in the spirit, searching the skies and trees, pointing out birds, nests and tracks! What could be better on a summer's day then to help fellow earth inhabitants, the environment and have fun?

Chimpanzees! That was the theme on August 3rd. Diana Goodrich and Janet Lalumiere led us through chimp vocalizations: food grunts, pant hoots, laughing, greeting and grooming. We learned how chimps are so much like us, and that it is important to educate others about the plight of chimps in entertainment, what the true story is. We also got to know about each of the chimps, what they like, their birthdays and favourite foods. Jean loves bananas, bananas, bananas — frozen, fresh, any way! Yoko will stash food for later on and keep midnight snacks handy. Billy loves playing chase and enjoys making new friends. Tom loves his human friend, Pat, and enjoys having a cup of tea with him. Donna Rae is a loyal and true friend. Each chimp is so unique! Bright flags of red and white were painted for the chimphouse. Binky enjoys watching the flags in the wind, and tries to catch them! We will share these amazing life stories with others, to let people know chimpanzees are deserving of love, respect and dignity!