Shanghai Roots & Shoots: Engaging the Youth

On Halloween night, it was not surprising to see the auditorium of Xiangming Middle School full of chattering students and teachers. No one was in costume though. And despite a live band, this was not a party. There was plenty of energy though, and it focused as the clock struck 7pm.

The classes from 21 different international schools in that auditorium suddenly hushed. Introductions were made; everyone politely paid attention. Then, an elderly woman dressed in conservative black slacks a long multi-colored shawl took the stage.  Her hair was pulled back in a familiar shoulder-length ponytail. She cleared her throat and began, “Hooooo hoo hoo ho ho hoo hooooo ho ho.” No one moved. Dr. Jane Goodall then said, “That’s ‘hello’ in monkey speak.”

Most people first learn about Dr. Goodall in science text books. She is considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, and the story of how she traveled to Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania in 1960 to begin an unconventional and narrative-shifting study on the chimps is world-renown.  She is now formally known as a primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, UN Messenger of Peace, and the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI).  On Halloween night, as she has done on most nights during her post-academic years, the seemingly tireless Dr. Goodall spoke to the students at Xiangming Middle School about Roots & Shoots, an offshoot of JGI that focuses on reaching out to schools.

At first, Dr. Goodall lectured about chimps. She did that for a long time. The more she talked though, the more macro environmental problems became part of her speeches. She began to focus on how she could more effectively spread information on the subject. She also consistently met young people looking for direction. They wanted to help, but they did not know how. The seeds of Roots & Shoots stemmed from wanting to meet these engaged students halfway.

The idea finally found traction in 1991 with the help of an inspired class in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Dr. Goodall organized the students and crafted a mandate for them to connect with their peers and take action on behalf of other people. One class reached out to another class. Then the school reached out to another school. In an age before the World Wide Web and social media, the word spread on concern, interest and excitement.

Even after Dr. Goodall left Tanzania, her students kept in close touch. One moved to Beijing, where he begged her to accompany him. “He was lonely.” She initially refused for financial reasons but did offer him an ultimatum: “If you start a Roots & Shoots division in Beijing, then I will come and visit.” It was not long before a letter arrived at her desk. He had done it, and she was scheduled to speak.

Dr. Goodall made her first visit to Shanghai in the very early 1990s. The city was much different then. “Three-fourths of the buildings you see today weren’t built then.” Like most of the young people involved in the Roots & Shoots program (now in 120 countries across the world), Chinese students immediately took to the idea. It was also an opportune time. China was opening up. Public awareness was spreading in concern of environmental issues. “You know, this was the first time that people could talk about the environment. The disasters [of the time] opened the opportunities. The timing was so perfect, because before then I wouldn’t have been able to deliver a message.” Today, there are Roots & Shoots offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Nanchang, and Chengdu.

Dr. Goodall is a pop culture figure as much as she is an environmental activist. People want her to answer broad, impactful questions that she often has little control over. During a press conference prior to Dr. Goodall’s auditorium speech, multiple people asked her how to fix the Chinese education problem of teaching to tests. She smiled and shrugged. She explained how young people are naturally drawn to interacting with the environment, and how easy it is to get them involved in any hands-on activities. It was up to the schools and parents to see the problem and adjust. She went on, “It is important to teach kids to think responsibly now. It’s a problem all over the world.”

Schools are adjusting. The first fully Roots & Shoots-affiliated school in Asia opened recently in Hong Kong. It weaves environmental issues into each and every subject. For example, in math class, students learn statistics by keeping track of a garden’s growth. “It is now much, much easier to get the message across,” Dr. Goodall explained. Once these young people grow into positions of societal power, their environment-savvy habits and concerns can spread.

Dr. Goodall travels 300 days out of the year, mostly participating in speaking engagements. She is excellent at what she does. Her speeches are engaging, easily digestible and inspiring. Most importantly, young people are drawn to her. (During the press conference, a teenager in a bright green Roots & Shoots hoodie did not stop smiling the entire hour during which Dr. Goodall answered questions.) The combination of her adventurous back story and the easily relatable message is like a tractor beam for an active young mind. Furthermore, environmental concerns are one of the few issues where the usually powerless youth can easily get involved. “At least one young person at every speaking event tells me that they want to go into environmental studies because of my story.”

Dr. Goodall was born in 1934. She first traveled to Tanzania, where she did her famous study, in 1960. Today, her famous ponytail still hangs strong, but she avoids bright lights when she can. She speaks with thoughtfulness and clarity, but between questions, she seeks out moments of rest. Her career and reputation demands a lot of activity, but her body struggles to keep up. “Roots & Shoots is creating a critical mass of people who are aware and care about environmental issues.” So, she is on constant call. “Dr. Jane, please come here. Dr. Jane, please speak there.” Her determination to make her self available to younger generations is the unheralded story of her life. She may be an icon, but she is still human. “Do I get tired? Yes.”