Celebrate International Women’s Day: Meet Vineeta Gupta

Our famous founder is one of many bold, brilliant, game-changing women at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). From the youngest Roots & Shoots members to our global CEO, we are very lucky to have countless curious, compassionate female leaders among us. All courageously committed to creating hope in their communities for the future of our interconnected earth.

Here in Australia we have some particularly inspiring local legends. As we celebrate International Women’s Day together with our global family, this week we will showcase five of them – all tirelessly working towards this year’s theme to #BreakTheBias for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. (We could easily have made it fifty).

From leading-edge scientists to social-justice campaigners, global law-transformers to political powerhouses, we hope you are as inspired reading about them – as we are working with them. So, let’s begin.

Vineeta Gupta: Microbiologist, Climate Leader, Campaigner & Organiser 

Vineeta, or Vini, is vital in growing our Roots & Shoots youth empowerment program across Australia.

Currently the State Coordinator for Tasmania, Vini is growing our movement down south to build a community of young, empowered change makers of hope. 100% voluntarily, she’s driven by her own deep passion for environmentalism, alongside studying Microbiology at the University of Tasmania, working as a researcher and campaigning with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition plus she’s Climate Reality Leader.

Previously Vini was part of our dynamic National Youth Leadership Council training program. Every year we recruit a collective of incredible young people to learn skills, gain confidence, build networks and develop direction as future environmental leaders. As an engaged, enterprising member she was offered the long-term oppurtunitiy to build Roots & Shoots in Tasmania.

Empower more young women like Vini: donate today >>

Vini has a keen interest in the cross-pollination of environmental advocacy with social justice, particularly the intersectional relationships between the environmental crisis and social inequality. In less than a year she helped host film festivals, co-developed the wellbeing program Return To Nature, increased the number of grants for Roots & Shoots projects and is now leading an ambitious advocacy campaign raising awareness about destructive Fast Fashion impacts – on animals, people and environment.

She believes that our environment is an integral part of our social well-being, and that we must do everything we can to conserve it. On days she hopes to inspire people in the same way as Dr Jane some day.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? And why do you think it’s important?

Vini and a colleague carrying out research as part of her Microbiology major at University of Tasmania
Vini and a colleague carrying out research as part of her Microbiology major at University of Tasmania

International Women’s Day is a time of celebrating the women of our planet and letting them know that ‘they are enough’. You don’t have to be a CEO or martial arts black belt to be a strong, independent woman. You are all you ever need to be.

It’s a time to celebrate the achievements women have made around the world, starting with acknowledging our own. We often forget how important we are as individuals.

Yet, it is also a time to acknowledge that gender inequality is not something of the past. Regardless of where you live or what you do, whether you’re a female worker in the cotton industry or work in Parliament House, gender inequality chases women of all walks of life – even today.

Our earth needs you: give to keep Jane’s hope alive >>

International Women’s Day is a time of celebration, but also a time for us to look forward and assess what needs to be done to ensure a truly gender equal society.

This isn’t something only women should be thinking about; men need to stand in solidarity with women to create a future where gender inequality is truly something of the past.

Who are your top three female inspirations and why?

The three most important women in my life are:

Vini with her mum, while celebrating her parents' 25th wedding anniversary
Vini with her mum, while celebrating her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary

My Mum.

She was the first female role model I had. She’s compassionate, caring, holds her ground and manages work-life balance with an ease I have yet to master.

Dr Marie Curie

She inspired me to pursue STEM and reminds me everyday that women can excel in any field they persue – male dominated or not. And to never give up on our dreams.

Being the 1st person to have won the Nobel Prize twice, she proved that women can be at the forefront of accomplishments and be the first at achieving something unachievable.

Dr Jane Goodall.

Jane inspires me to be hopeful everyday in a world where hope can be difficult to find. She inspires me to get up and take action for what I believe in – whether that be social and climate justice, or creating a world that’s better for those to come – for, as she says: “the greatest danger to our future is apathy.”

Help young leaders: Join The Hope our donor community >>

What advice would you give to a 10-year-old with hindsight?

Let your imagination go crazy and know that as a woman you can also soar. No matter what you decide to do, always remember that you are enough and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

There’s no such thing as a woman’s job or a man’s job, all jobs are equal.

Remember to always do what brings you joy and instills you with hope.

What is your key message to other women with similar goals this IWD?

In a time of such uncertainty, it can be difficult to focus on our goals and aspirations, particularly justice focused aspirations.

Like myself I’m sure there are others who wake up thinking what’s the point of trying and trying again when all we face is failure to be heard and taken seriously. But always remember, if we can inspire one other person to care, then one day, we’ll have inspired the world.

~

Be a part of Vini’s work: join Roots & Shoots Tasmania’s Facebook Group or email tas@janegoodall.org.au

Roots & Shoots’ Kya King, 12, crowned Environment Minister’s Young Climate Champion

Minister’s Young Climate Champion of 2021, Kya King with NSW Environment Minister and Treasurer, Matt Kean, MP.

Kya King, Roots & Shoots NSW member, has won the prestigious Minister’s Young Climate Champion title for her 2020 Mini Grants project of a bushfire recovery seed bank.

Treasurer and Environment Minister, Matt Kean, presented King with her prize at a ceremony in Sydney on 9 December, as part of the inaugural NSW Sustainability Awards produced by Banksia. The Young Climate Champion program recognises the next generation of environmental champions and climate-conscious innovators under 18, taking action into their own hands. “It is so inspiring to see young people like Kya stepping up and making a difference in their local community,” said Kean.

King was one of three finalists invited to attend the Banksia Awards at the offices of EY which also recognised outstanding contributions in a range of categories including Clean Technology, Biodiversity and Future Cities.

Kya’s winning project was a seed bank established to distribute native trees to community members on the south coast of NSW, hit hard by the Black Summer Bushfires. The judges were impressed by the ingenuity and passion Kya demonstrated. Kya was nominated for the prize with the help of K-lynn Smith, Roots & Shoots NSW State Coordinator.

Kya submitted her project idea through the Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Mini Grants program securing a small grant to kick off the project. Jane Goodall Institute Australia CEO, James Forbes said that seeing not just Kya’s project but dozens like it across Australia in the wake of the bushfires and during a pandemic, was inspiring.

“Young people are truly a force of nature when they see a problem that needs solving. We are so proud of Kya’s success in this, but also of young people all over Australia who are stepping up to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time like climate change and biodiversity loss.

About Kya and her Roots & Shoots Mini Grant winning project

Kya is a remarkable 11-year-old. She witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the 2019-2020 bushfires on people and animals. She used to see kangaroos and birds in her yard. The bush was so thick, she couldn’t even see through it. It was a perfect habitat for the native animals. After the fires, the hills were black and there was little food or shelter for the animals. She also felt compassion for the people who lost everything, even their own vegetable gardens.

With the support of her mother Amy Fazl, Kya created a plan to help her local neighbourhood recover from the bushfires. She applied for and received a Roots and Shoots Mini Grant in 2020 to grow native shrubs and flowers, as well as vegetables, to begin to replace what was lost to the fires.

Her first step was to research native shrub and tree species for the area around Sussex Inlet, NSW where she lives. Using the Roots and Shoots funds she purchased seeds and soil in order to propagate the plants.

They grew very well and by the end of the project she had distributed over 150 plants native to people in the local neighbourhood. In addition to the native plants, she also gave away nearly 500 herbs, pollinator seeds, and vegetables plants. These were planted in community members’ gardens around Sussex Inlet and in the community run garden.

In addition to providing new food and homes for the local animals, the project helped to lift the spirits of people who had suffered so much.

Winning the Mini Grant also positively impacted Kya’s life. Kya is on the spectrum and has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. Her mother commented on how the grant gave Kya the opportunity to embrace her passion for helping people and for caring for the environment. Kya learned new skills and hopes to be able to do more to help her community in the future.

Congratulations on your highly deserved win Kya! You truly embody the spirit of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots. It is an enormous credit to the passion and determination of young people like Kya that gives us hope for the future!

Special thanks to Joanne and William of the Une Parkinson Foundation who have made this program possible at all. As well as the JGIA family: that a Roots & Shoots project has received such a high-status award is recognition not just of Kya’s great work but also the great work done by the Roots & Shoots State Coordinators across Australia, plus the whole team, in promoting this program with schools and communities.

rootsandshoots.org.au | Back to JGIA news >>

Roots & Shoots is turning 30!

Join us in celebrating 30 years of Roots & Shoots by taking on the issues that matter most as part of a massive movement of compassionate changemakers, just like you! Roots & Shoots inspires young people to believe in their own voice and abilities, growing connections, and respect across all identities.

What is Roots & Shoots?

Young people are not just the future, they are the present and are shaping tomorrow, today. As we face the greatest challenges of our lifetime, disease, existential threats like the Climate Crisis, the Sixth Great Extinction, disease, prejudice and violence, young people in Roots & Shoots are not only resilient, but they are also tackling these issues head on by innovating and turning hope into action across every continent.

In 2021, we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Institute. Roots & Shoots inspires young people to believe in their own voice and abilities, growing connections and respect across all forms of identity and experience. As we reflect on the global impact of this extraordinary and singular youth movement, we look to the horizon and continue to empower the young people creating the roadmap of a better future for all.

Jane-with-Kids | Roots and Shoots Australia

The Story

It all began on Jane Goodall’s front porch in Tanzania, when a group of students told her they felt powerless thinking about the problems all around them. Jane encouraged them to use their voices and ideas to address the issues they saw, head on. Roots & Shoots was born. Today, Roots & Shoots is a world-wide movement of thousands of passionate young people making big impacts – and it continues to grow. Whether it’s natural disasters, homelessness, pollution or even climate change, Roots & Shoots youth are taking on challenges and creating real positive change across the globe.

Roots & Shoots youth have been changing the face of change for 30 years, by following Jane Goodall’s example of being bold, kind, and doing good every single day. Across every continent, in over 65 countries worldwide, the Roots & Shoots movement includes hundreds of thousands of individuals and world-changing projects for people, other animals, and the planet we share ranging from taking on homelessness, climate change, biodiversity loss, injustice, and pollution while changing legislation, convincing corporations to make sustainable change, and inspiring even more people to take action.

The Future

As the Roots & Shoots youth movement grows to the millions, it’s making big impact through the power of every individual to make a difference, and the collective power of individuals. Recognized by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations as an innovative and effective way of engaging youth, Roots & Shoots gives everyone a way to make a difference in their own way, every day.

Roots & Shoots changemakers have already done incredible things over the last 30 years, already changing the world! But this year is going to be HUGE: this is your chance to be part of something extraordinary and help create the roadmap of a better future for all. Join us as we do 30,000 projects making a difference for people, animals and the environment in 2021 and beyond!

Watch Dr. Jane Goodall’s message to launch our 30th Anniversary celebrations:

rootsandshoots.org.au | #HopeActChange #RootsandShoots30

How girls’ education benefits our entire planet

Inspired by her own experience witnessing the Jane Goodall Institute’s work in Uganda, our Africa Programs Manager, Natasha Coutts, shares proven reasons why female education has positive reverberations for our entire planet.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

 

Significant gains in closing the gender gap in education have been made globally over the past 30 years, however regional disparities between the number of years of school completed by boys and girls still persist. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the lower secondary school completion rate for boys is 42 percent compared to 36 percent for girls. A similar difference exists for upper secondary school completion rates, with 29 percent for boys and just 22 percent for girls. Here are eight reasons why bridging the educational gender divide in Sub-Saharan Africa can help save the world

Forests

Africa has lost 3.94 million hectares of forest per year since 1990, the highest rate globally.1 These forests, particularly the primary tropical rainforests around the equator, are extremely rich in biodiversity. Their loss and degradation imperils the survival of innumerable plant and animal species, many endemic to these locations. For example, habitat destruction and degradation is a leading threat to endangered chimpanzees.2

Multiple studies have shown traditional fuel consumption to be the greatest driver of deforestation in the region, due to large numbers of poor rural populations living in and around forested areas being reliant on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking.3-5  In addition to energy, many people across rural Sub-Saharan Africa depend on forests for between 30 – 45%  of their total household income.6-9 However, forest dependency tends to decline with more years of education, as it presents alternative livelihood opportunities that are often more profitable than forest extraction activities.10-14

Find out more about our campaign Educate Girls, Change The World >>

Resilience

Education helps buffer women, their families and the countries that they live in from financial and environmental shocks.15 At the family level, women with more education can better handle economic fluctuations that might impact their ability to provide food and health care to their children. At the national level, female education provides the best return on investment for enhancing a country’s ability to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.16

Predictions suggest Africa will face a number of climate and environment related challenges –  such as decreased food security, water availability and biodiversity loss – over the coming decades. Critical to ensuring vulnerable populations are equipped to deal with these challenges is the education of girls: there is massive untapped potential for them to emerge as leaders in this space. For example, in 2015 women represented only 30% of forestry graduates from the level of technical diploma through to doctoral degrees.17

Closing the gender gap in secondary education will give girls the foundations they need to pursue further education and realise their full potential to gain leadership positions within academia, civic associations, business, and politics.18

Climate

Sub-Saharan African countries are among the world’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. By decreasing fertility rates and population growth, educating girls can substantially contribute to reducing global carbon emissions.19

Project Drawdown – the world’s leading resource for climate solutions – ranked educating girls the sixth most effective strategy for curbing climate change. Estimations suggest over 51 gigatons of CO2 emissions could be saved if free universal secondary education is implemented globally by 2030.20

How do reusable sanitary towels reduce deforestation? Learn more >>

Population growth

High population growth can be a challenge to increasing standards of living in Income Level 1 & 2 countries. More people means budgets for public services and available resources are spread more thinly. Increasing population size is also strongly associated with greater deforestation.21,22

If all countries prioritised rapid expansion of free universal secondary schooling, the global population will likely be 843 million people fewer in 2050 compared to projections based on current enrollment rates.23, 24 In Sub-Saharan Africa, where most countries are currently at Income Levels 1 & 2 and large gaps in educational attainment between boys and girls still exist, women with secondary education average 3.9 births while those with no education average 6.8 births.25, 26

Future earnings

There is a strong relationship between the number of years of schooling a girl undertakes and her future income. Sub-Saharan African women with primary education are likely to earn between 18 – 30% more than those with no education. The difference increases to between 130 – 165% for secondary education, and a staggering 448 – 567% for tertiary education.27

Education also helps reduce gender income inequality. Ghanian women with secondary education earn 16 percent less than secondary educated men, whereas the gap increases to 57 percent for women and men with no education.28  Because higher incomes help alleviate poverty, which in turn can lower dependence on forests29, educating girls over time contributes to the preservation of natural ecosystems.

Health

Education leads to better health outcomes for women and their children. During the peak of the HIV crisis in the 1990s the likelihood of testing positive to the virus was three times less for adolescent rural Ugandans with secondary education than those with no education.30

Across nine Sub-Saharan African countries, the chance of a child contracting malaria – a leading cause of death in the region – is reduced by approximately 27 percent if their mothers have completed at least six years of primary education.31  Child health and nutritional status is most strongly associated with a mothers’ education in rural Uganda.32

Economies

Educated women make economies stronger, both locally and nationally. Increasing the number of years of education improves women’s prospects for participating in the formal labour market.33 Estimated labour market returns on education are higher for women at 11.7 percent compared to 9.6 percent for men.34

Sub-Saharan African women are responsible for 75 percent of food produced in the region, yet their average number of years of education is far less than that of men.

When women’s educational attainment levels increase, so too does their productivity. Female farmers with more years of education in Kenya were shown to increase yields by up to 22 percent.35

Child marriage

Cultural norms and poverty force many girls to marry before the age of 18. In most cases, marriage and schooling are mutually exclusive.36 The chance of marriage is reduced by 7.5 percent for every additional year of secondary school completed by girls in 13 African countries.

In a survey of married Ugandan women, 39 percent who married in adulthood enrolled in secondary school, compared to 13 percent who married as a child.37 Programs that focus on increasing educational attainment for girls are one of the most effective strategies for reducing child marriage.38

Learn how JGI helps girls stay in school to protect chimps >>

 

References

  • FAO and UNEP. 2020. The State of the World’s Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en
  • Plumptre, A., Hart, J.A., Hicks, T.C., Nixon, S., Piel, A.K. & Pintea, L. 2016. Pan troglodytes ssp. schweinfurthii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T15937A102329417.
  • Bawa, K. S. and Dayanandan, S. (1997). Socioeconomic factors and tropical deforestation. Nature, 386, 562 – 563.
  • Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy,V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., Angelsen, A., and Romijn, E. (2012). An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Environmental Research Letters, 7, 044009.
  • Mulenga, B. P., Tembo, S. T., and Richardson, R. B. (2019). Electricity access and charcoal consumption among urban households in Zambia. Development Southern Africa, 36 (5), 585 – 599. 
  • Garekae, H., Thakadu, O. T., and Lepetu, J. (2017). Socio-economic factors influencing household forest dependency in Chobe enclave, Botswana. Ecological Processes, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-017-0107-3.
  • Mamo, G., Sjaastad, E., Vedeld, P. (2007). Economic dependence on forest resources: a case from Dendi District, Ethiopia. Forest Policy Economics, 9 (8), 916 – 927.
  • Appiah, M., Blay, D., Damnyag, L., Dwomoh, F. K., Pappinen, A., and Luukkanen, O. (2009). Dependence on forest resources and tropical deforestation in Ghana. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11, 471 – 487.
  • Kalaba, F. K, Quinn, C.H., Dougill, A.J. (2013). Contribution of forest provisioning ecosystem services to rural livelihoods in the Miombo woodlands of Zambia. Population and Environment, 35 (2), 159 – 182.
  • Adhikari, B., Di Falco, S., and Lovett, J. C. (2004). Household characteristics and forest dependency: evidence from common property forest management in Nepal. Ecological Economics, 48, 245 – 257.
  • Gunatilake, H. (1998). The role of rural development in protecting tropical rainforests: evidence from Sri Lanka. Journal of Environmental Management, 53, 273 – 292.
  • Panta, M., Kim, K., Lee, C. (2009). Households’ characteristics, forest resources dependency and forest availability in central Terai of Nepal. Journal of Korean Forest Society, 98 (5), 548 – 557.
  • Fonta, W. M., and Ayuk, E. T. (2013). Measuring the role of forest income in mitigating poverty and inequality: evidence from south-eastern Nigeria. Forests, Trees, and Livelihoods 22 (2), 86 – 105.
  • Masozera, M. K., and Alavalapati, J. R. R. (2004). Forest dependency and its implications for protected areas management: a case study from the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 19 (4), 85–92.
  • King, E., and Winthrop,  R. (2015). Today’s Challenges for Girls’ Education. Brookings Institution, Washington.
  • Streissnig, E., Lutz, W., and Patt, A. (2013). Effects of Educational Attainment on Climate Risk Vulnerability. Ecology and Society, 18 (1), 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-05252-180116.
  • FAO. (2020). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9825en.
  • O’Neil, T., Plank, G., and Domingo, P. (2015). Support to Women and Girls’ Leadership: A Rapid Review of the Evidence. Overseas Development Institute, London.
  • O’Neill, B.C., Dalton, M., Fuchs, R., Jiang, L., Pachauri, S., and Zigova, K. (2010). Global demographic trends and future carbon emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (41), 17521-17526. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004581107.
  • UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Busch, J., and Ferretti-Gallon, K. (2017). What Drives Deforestation and What Stops It? A Meta-Analysis. Review of environmental economics and policy, 11(1) 3-23.
  • Uusivuori, J., Lehto, E. and Palo, M. (2002). Population, income and ecological conditions as determinants of forest area variation in the tropics. Global Environmental Change, 12, 313-323.
  • UNESCO. (2014). Teaching and Learning: Achieving Quality for All – EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/4. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Lutz, W., and Samir., K. C.  (2011). Global Human Capital: Integrating Education and Population. Science, 333 (6042), 587–92.
  • UNPD. (2011). World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. UNPD, New York.
  • 26.ICF International. STATcompiler: Building Tables with DHS Data. (2012) ICF International, Calverton. Available at www.statcompiler.com.
  • Wodon, Q., C., Nguyen, M. H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • Kolev, A., and Sirven, N. (2010). Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market: A Cross-Country Comparison Using Standardized Survey Data. In Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market. Editors Arbache, J. S., Kolev, A., and Filipiak, E. World Bank, Washington.
  • FAO and UNEP. (2020). The State of the World’s Forests 2020 – Forests, biodiversity and people. FAO and UNEP, Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en.
  • De Walque, D. (2004). How Does Educational Attainment Affect the Risk of Being Infected by HIV/AIDS? Evidence from a General Population Cohort in Rural Uganda. World Bank Development Research Group Working Paper. World Bank, Washington.
  • Siri, J. G. (2014). Independent Associations of Maternal Education and Household Wealth with Malaria Risk in Children. Ecology and Society, 19 (1), 33.
  • Wamani, H., Tylleskär, T., Astrøm, A. N., Tumwine, J. K., and Peterson, S. (2004). Mothers’ Education but Not Fathers’ Education, Household Assets or Land Ownership is the Best Predictor of Child Health Inequalities in Rural Uganda. International Journal for Equity in Health, 3 (1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-3-9
  • Patrinos, H., and Montenegro, C. E. (2014). Comparable Estimates of Returns to Schooling Around the World. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 7020. World Bank, Washington.
  • Sperling, G. B., Winthrop, R. and Kwauk, C. (2016). What Works in Girls’ Education: Evidence for the World’s Best Economy. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.
  • Quisumbing, A. (1996). Male – Female Differences in Agricultural Productivity: Methodological Issues and Empirical Evidence. World Development, 24 (10), 1579 – 1595.
  • Wodon, Q., Nguyen, M. C., and Tsimpo, C. (2016). Child Marriage, Education, and Agency in Uganda. Feminist Economics, 22 (1), 54 – 79. doi:10.1080/13545701.2015.1102020.
  • Wodon, Q., Montenegro, C., Nguyen, H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.
  • Botea, I., Chakravarty, S., Haddock, S., and Wodon, Q. (2017). Interventions Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes and Delaying Child Marriage and Childbearing for Adolescent Girls. Ending Child Marriage Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.

Roots & Shoots Mini Grants: Winners Galore!

By Abbie Mitchell, General Manager Youth Programs, Jane Goodall Australia (JGIA)

Thanks so much to everyone that submitted an application to receive a Roots & Shoots 2020 Mini Grant.

The opportunity to provide Mini Grants is an integral part of Jane Goodall Australia’s Roots & Shoots program: every year we offer funds of $500 and $250 to help young people bring their ideas that benefit animals, people and environment to life. Fundamentally it allows us to acknowledge, encourage and support important environmental activity by our members, demonstrating that by leading by example, and tackling environmental issues at a local scale, together we can drive global change.

This year we are very excited to support an amazing array of projects which absolutely embody the proactive spirit of Roots & Shoots. For 2020 there is definitely an emphasis, even repetition, on the theme of habitat improvements for pollinators. As a keystone ecosystem service, and basis for all food webs, Roots & Shoots very much welcomes as much activity in this area as possible!

There are a number of standout projects that impressed the judges and certainly brought a smile to our faces. Congratulations to Diamond Creek Public School for coming up with a creative solution to welcome wombats in their school. And to Riverside Kensington Community Group, who are set to grow a rooftop feast for the occupants of their apartment block in urban Melbourne. Awarding the Mini Grants is an absolute joy for JGIA as we witness that the seed funding we provide ($500 or $250) blossoms into amazing benefits for animals, people and our shared environment.

Thanks to the generous support of the Une Parkinson Foundation, this year we were able to provide a record number of 27 mini grants! The successful applicants were selected by a panel of JGIA staff according to the strength of the idea and potential impact of the project. We admit that we are a bit sneaky with the application process, because we intended for applicants to think carefully about how they will do their activity, including all the steps and costs involved. As planning is such a huge part of every successful project, so in providing us with this detail, entrants are already well on the way to getting started!

We were conscious of selecting a suite of projects that together provide inspiration and diversity in representing a variety of approaches to benefit animals, people and the environment. From the range of outstanding applications we received, we awarded Mini Grants to entries representing activity in almost all states.

Once again, congratulations to all of our winning applicants. We are busting to see the outcomes from all of these wonderful activities and sharing your stories with our Roots & Shoots community.

To see our full list of winners, and more on their awesome projects, head to rootsandshoots.org.au/minigrants

Roots & Shoots Mini Grants: Meet 2019’s winners Annangrove public school

Know a young person with a great idea to benefit animals, people and our environment? Roots & Shoots’ annual Mini Grants program is open now, where members can win upto $500 towards their change-making project. Roots & Shoots Manager, Abbie Mitchell, writes about 2019’s winner, Annagrove Public School, to show how a mini grant could turn your dream into reality. 

Feeding the fussy: Annangrove Public School provided food trees for glossy black cockatoos

Some animals are generalists: they eat all sorts of different foods. Other animals are fussy. They are specialists, and only eat a select type of food. The Glossy Black Cockatoo is a very fussy seed-eating specialist. They only eat the seeds from sheoaks (Allocasurina and Casurina species). Occasionally they eat the odd tree-boring grub as well, but, on the whole, they have a fastidiously fussy diet. 

Recognising this, Annangrove Public School used their 2019 $250 Mini Grant to plant a grove of sheoaks for the locally endangered population of Glossy Black Cockatoos.

Annangrove is a rural suburb north west of Sydney. Though it is fringed by bushy areas, much of the region has become fragmented as it is cleared for hobby farms and other infrastructure. Despite the critical food this tree provides, the importance of retaining this tree species is little known, and especially, it is greatly undervalued for its aesthetic qualities – not to mention the fantastic sound it makes in the wind!

This is where Annangrove Public School stepped in. Armed with gloves, buckets and seedlings, over 100 students and willing adult helpers, got digging to plant a food source for the future. 

A hands-on project like this is a fantastic and memorable way to extend on classroom biodiversity lessons, while also making a huge improvement to your local area. It certainly looks as though Annangrove Public School enjoyed this lesson!

No matter where you live, there is bound to be a worthwhile project that you can get stuck into that will help your local environment. Right now R&S are offering mini grants to individuals, groups or schools to boost projects that benefit animals, people or our shared environment. What sorts of projects are we looking for? If it makes for a better planet we’re keen! 

So start planning a project, submit your application here, and plan to make a difference.

Hurry: Entries close 15 July! Find out more and enter at rootsandshoots.org.au/minigrants

Roots & Shoots Mini Grants: ten tips to impress on your 2020 project application

Want to make change in your local area for animals, people or our environment? Up to $500 is available to Roots & Shoots members with a positive project idea this spring – thanks to our annual Mini Grants program. But, what if you don’t know where to start with your application? Our Roots & Shoots Manager, Abbie Mitchell, shares her insider advice on how to get started – and impress our judges before our 15 July deadline, so you can win some cash to turn your dream into reality.

10 tips for a great mini grants application:

1. Motivation follows action

Nut out the steps involved in your project and create a plan of action

2. It costs how much?

Set a budget for the project – be realistic as costs can add up quickly, but don’t let that set you back – consider if you may need to raise extra funds to finish your project. How about a ‘fun’ raiser!

3. Reduce, recycle, reuse, reimagine

Get creative with solutions and cost cutting – it’s better for the pocket and better for the environment.

4. Do your homework

What animal species can you support in your immediate area? How sustainable is your local community? What can be improved? Look around, or do some research!

5. Break it down

You may have a grand plan, but too big can be overwhelming. Break it into manageable stages.

6. Grab some friends

Many hands make light work and also make the project so much more fun.

7. Ask around

Friends, neighbours and local businesses may have tools or materials to reduce the cost.

8. Ask an expert

You don’t need to know everything. Community groups or local council are usually really keen to help you make a difference.

9. Look to the future.

The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The best time to reduce waste was before it became a problem. The second best time is now!

10. If not me then who?

You can do this. Have faith, learn as you go, ask questions and feel good that you are taking a proactive approach to making a positive difference in the world.