Quick actions you can take today to make a difference
Get planting
1. Plant some local, pollinator friendly plants at your home or school. You will need to research the best plants for your community to help bees, butterflies, bats and other pollinators.
Help others
2. Help others in your community by repurposing items you no longer use. Tidy up your cupboards, toy chests and bookcases – are there items you no longer need? Why not donate these to your local goodwill store or nearest charity and give your previously loved items a new home.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
3. Help ocean animals by reducing plastic waste and recycling. Make sure you have your reusable bottles, cups, shopping bags, straws and utensils ready.
Save energy
4. Save energy in your home, school or office. Switch off or unplug all appliances when they are not in use and switch off lights when you leave a room.
Green transport
5.Reduce your carbon footprint – Join a carpool, use public transport, cycle or walk rather than using your car.
Get composting
6. Create your own compost at home, school or your office. Start by making sure you can sort your waste into recycling, organic and general waste. Research the best type of compost heap or bin you can use for your available space. Hint: you can make your own vermicompost bins or buy small units for small indoor spaces.
Follow these 4 easy steps to get started on your own Roots & Shoots project as a group
Roots & Shoots is for young people of ALL ages. A group could be made up of family members, friends, classmates, work colleagues or community members. A group can be large or small.
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”
Dr. Jane Goodall
Get inspired
Get excited about making a difference by exploring Dr. Jane’s story and examples of other compassionate citizens.
One great way to do this is to discover inspirational stories from other change-makers. See our project examples for even more inspiration.
Dr. Jane’s story: In pursuit of her goals, Dr. Jane had to overcome many obstacles – economic, social and professional. She is a pioneering female role model in the sciences and a dedicated change-maker for communities across the globe.
You can watch videos on Dr. Jane’s work including National Geographic’s “JANE” and “THE HOPE”
Read books on Dr. Jane’s life: “My Life with the Chimpanzees” and “Reason for Hope” by Dr. Jane Goodall (contact your local office for more information).
Investigate your community's needs - Explore your community
Meet with your group – whether family, school, community or office group. Come together to discuss the challenges you see in the community where you live. Start thinking about how you can help.
- Who are the members of your community? (Remember to include animals, people and the environment.)
- What are the needs of our community members?
- Are the needs of our community members being met?
- How can we better utilise the resources to better meet the needs of our community members?
Community mapping can be used to draw together the picture of the members of your community, their needs and the resources available.
Integrate indigenous knowledge into the community mapping.
Reach out to local elders.
Take Action
It’s time to begin planning to take action for animals, people and our shared environment. Using your new knowledge about what may be needed in your community, it is now time to select some projects!
It is key to remember that people, other animals and the environment are interconnected, so when you are designing your project, take the time to consider how your actions will affect all three groups.
Considerations include: How? Where? When? Who?
Types of actions can include:
- Education: Inform the community of local sustainability issues.
- Motivation: Inspire changes in consumer & lifestyle choices by offering sustainable alternatives.
- Restoration: Create, rehabilitate or maintain natural areas.
- Advocacy: Take advocacy action to raise awareness about your cause.
When? Plan the start and end date, any meetings or other steps to be considered. Create a project timeline and share this timeline with your group.
Who in the group will be responsible for various tasks – how much time will each task take to complete?
Reach out to neighbours, friends and potential sponsors or donors to ask for help when needed.
Celebrate
This is a time to reflect as a group about the impact and successes of the project. Come together to see what lessons you learned, and reflect about what this means to your group on both a personal and community level.
Share your journey with your fellow group members, community members and your local Roots & Shoots network contact. Your project is inspirational!
Consider if you will relaunch the project once your group has considered lessons learned.
Now that you have completed a project and have more experience, you and your group can continue the steps once more to take action with projects that further benefit animals, people and the environment.