Recent updates on current Roots & Shoots missions

Wendy Gediman, who runs the Wildlife Club at TASIS England American School, recently went further afield to view some unusual wildlife. She went to Antarctica, this being her second expedition there with the environmentalist and explorer, Robert Swan. The goal of the expedition was to bring together people from all over the globe to learn about the last continent on earth left in its natural state. Antarctica is a place that no one owns, no one is allowed to exploit, where war is illegal, and keys to our past are locked deep in her ice. It is important that people learn about Antarctica and how her well-being is important in balancing life on earth.

Ms. Gediman ran an online Frozen Classroom …

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In July 2012 Turners Hill School were lucky enough to win £1000 in the Green School Awards. We have already implemented many green initiatives in school and decided that we would like to spread the eco message further afield, internationally!

We decided that we would like to spend the money on a laptop and solar panel which could be donated to a primary school in Africa.

Our local secondary school makes an annual visit to Tanzania and they kindly agreed to help us with our project.

We purchased the laptop and loaded it with some software and did the necessary wiring to a solar panel.

In October 2012 the secondary school students left for Tanzania with our donation. As yet we had no idea …

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Milly curled up into a tight little ball and shut her eyes tightly. It was safe in there, in the wardrobe. She settled into the softness of the duvet that reminded her of the better times when she was not alone. The times when the friendly old lady stroked her as they sat together in front of the log burner, or when she rubbed her head and whiskers around the legs of the old lady as got her food ready. The long winter evenings snuggling in the comfort of the old double bed, stretching and taking up most of the room. The long summer days lazing in the sunshine, stalking butterflies and grasshoppers in grass and flower borders or staring …

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So at last Spring has arrived and with it the first butterflies, swooping swallows and the cuckoo’s call echoing along the valley. Many of our Agents are busy at the moment with dreaded exams filling their lives. However Agent A joined us for a Spring Safari, with many of the younger ones, around Stover Country Park. Many birds breed safely in the mixed woodlands and reed beds around the central lake and all enjoyed the raised walkway which takes them up into the tree tops. In the story telling area everyone took turns to sit in the huge carved wooden chair to tell a story or sing a song.

Nature at it’s best forming an inherent part of the life skills …

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A new session of Wildlife Club began the end of March. Now that winter is finally behind us, we have been busy at work in our large walled garden. Our wildlife pond looks good, but it needed some weeding and general clearing up around the pond. The children put on their gloves and worked hard to pull weeds, cut up brambles, and tidy up the surrounding area. We were pleased when we were done and went to work in a different area of our garden, as we looked across to see two ducks floating in our pond!

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St. Clements is a SEN school located in the market town of Dingwall, 15 miles north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Our pupils are aged 3-19. We are housed in a Victorian buliding in the town centre, with limited playground area. The pupils have developed a small community garden adjacent to the school and maintain and plant raised beds as part of our Eco schools involvement. We have a strong interest in all aspects of the Eco programme and have successful links with a local croft and farm and have received our second green flag.

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The girls involved in the Queen Elizabeth II High School ‘Grow your own Project’ were invited to display their clothes they have grown in the bi-annual Manx Wearable Art Show. The girls were given the opportunity to spread their message about the environmental impact and their eco – concerns around ‘fast fashion’. They paraded their garments on the catwalk to a packed audience.

The clothes grown from bacteria, tea and sugar certainly provided a talking point among the audience and many were overheard discussing the project when leaving the venue.

The school received an e-mail from the organisers saying “The show on Friday went so well and we were pleased with the part …

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The Long Eaton School Eco-Interactors have yet again won another prestigious award for their work protecting the environment and improving the flora and fauna around the Long Eaton area.

A certificate and cheque for £125 was presented to Daisy Kelsey (Interact President) by Barbara James, Rotary Interact Officer.  The money will go towards an environmental project chosen by the Long Eaton School’s Eco-Interactors.

The Home Super Agents thoroughly enjoyed the Awards Ceremony in London and have proudly returned inspired to do more. We are all part of an international group which provides caring and supportive services to families, children and young people and special agents Sian and Amber are very excited as they have been asked to give a presentation about Roots & Shoots their work to the founder and ‘chief executive’ of Core Assets. They both want to carry their work forward by becoming Young Ambassadors within Core Assets and send out more shoots. Agent Amber will write about this in her blog.

The weather has sent all sorts of challenges to us and to the wildlife this over 2012 and into 2013. …

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Subject

As fashion conscious teenagers we are aware that many people have to have the latest style and since prices are low many consider clothing to be disposable. This so called ‘fast fashion’ leaves a pollution footprint with each step of the clothing life cycle generating potential environmental and occupational hazards. Influenced by fashion designer Suzanne Lee we want to investigate her idea of growing a more ecological and sustainable material ‘to grow a dress in a vat of liquid’. We want to use microbial-cellulose produced by a symbiotic mixture of yeast and bacteria grown in bathtubs of sweet green tea.

Aim

Our aim is to raise awareness that with the right simple …

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