On Sunday November 6th, Roots & Shoots California hosted our annual Regional Youth Leadership Summit! Despite ominous morning weather, the sun came out early and the youth enjoyed a beautiful day creating learning gardens for their service project. All the workshops were great hits and offered a wide array of environmental learning opportunities

For many of us that live in big cities and suburbs, it is sometimes easy to forget that California is full of diverse habitats home to hundreds of species, many of which are endangered. The Oakland Zoo Teen Wild Guides took the chance to remind people that they are not the only ones that live here.

In this section of our monthly eNews, we will contually update this story with current grant and award opportunities for Roots & Shoots groups. So keep checking back, and apply today!

On September 18th, Roots & Shoots groups from across the state converged on the Oakland Zoo amid participating environmental and humanitarian organizations to celebrate peace in the Roots & Shoots way!

By devoting one day to improving our public lands we are insuring their well being for mass appreciation into the future. Check out our article and the National Public Land¿s website for more information on scheduled projects in your area and how you can get involved!

The Environmental Care and Global Awareness (ECGA) group, led by Jerry at his local high school, has been hard at work promoting and carrying out a hugely successful e-waste recycling event. If you are looking for ways to jump start a recycling program at your own school, read on to learn about how Jerry and ECGA implemented their recycling program, including how they collaborated with the middle school in their town to maximize their impact!

Ryan Rodriguez, a member of the California Youth Leadership Council, shared with us his experiences as a Roots & Shoots group member.  His group, the LA Zoo ECO Corps recently made a PSA (public service annoucement) on forests and the species that inhabit them. Click to read the interview!

In 2010, the Roots & Shoots Club at High Tech High in San Diego embarked on a project to benefit both the human and animal communities. After learning how bats play an integral role in the local ecosystem by keeping mosquitoes and other insects in check, HTH Roots & Shoots came up with a project to help the native bats of Southern California. 

The Freedom Middle School (FMS) Roots & Shoots group spent this past school year volunteering with Boy Scouts Troop 484 of Bakersfield to create a community garden at FMS. In the fall the FMS Roots & Shoots group helped the boy scouts clear the unused patch of land that was to become the square foot garden, and assemble the six four-by-four square foot garden boxes.

Jay Vavra, a teacher at High Tech High School in San Diego, created a Roots & Shoots group in his biology class eight years ago as part of his interest in promoting environmental awareness. The High Tech High group has just published their fourth field guide on the San Diego Bay!

With over 16 years of Roots & Shoots experience between them, Emily Romano and Laurel Watkins are influencing new generations of Roots & Shoots youth through their work on the National Youth Leadership Council and as CAYLC Advisory Board members.

If you like the outdoors, gardening, or butterflies, you're going to love the Butterfly Garden in a Pot project created by the Foothills Roots & Shoots group!

The summer is definitely a time to relax and enjoy a leisure pace for a couple of months. But it is also a great time to pursue activites and interests that time restraints limited during the school year. Here you will find a list of activities that will entertain and enrich.

Last month, there was a terrible tornado in Joplin, Missouri destroying nearly a third of the city including four schools and a medical center. Across the country, people are banding together to support their fellow Americans.

Last month, the East Bay Homeschoolers Roots & Shoots group volunteered their time to restore crucial migratory bird habitat in the bay. Read more about their day at the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park!

Last month Sequoia Park Zoo Roots & Shoots attended the Northcoast Youth Summit 2011. Group members learned new leadership skills and were empowered to become ambassadors of change within their communities. They helped plant vegetables for the hungry and participated in a project to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence. Click to learn more about their time at the event!

Roots & Shoots groups across California are being recognized by their local newspapers for creating and completing service-learning projects that not only benefit their own neighborhoods, but help our global community as well. Click to read more about how groups are being recognized for their efforts, and get inspired to do a project of your own!

This month's project highlight celebrates Dry Creek Roots & Shoots, who participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Click to learn more about this project and what Dry Creek helped accomplish!

On February 19, 2011, Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots California staff and volunteers partnered with the Oakland Zoo Teen Wild Guides to throw a milestone 20th birthday party for the Roots & Shoots program. Click to read more!

This month's project highlight focuses on the winners of California's Eco-Wrapping Challenge, Rosa and Al of Don's Net Cafe Roots & Shoots in Santa Barbara! Rosa and Al turned the holiday season into the season of 100% recyclable festive crafts, by giving magazines and newspapers a new life as bows for presents, reusable gift bags, and Christmas trees. Click to read more about how Rosa and Al reused your everyday items for our Eco-Wrapping Challenge!

This month we are highlighting the Oakand Zoo Teen Wild Guides, who celebrated the 1st annual International Red Panda Day at the zoo! Their project brought their community together, raised awarness about red pandas, and raised money for red panda conservation! Click to read more about the Teen Wild Guides, their fantastic projects, and International Red Panda Day.

From November 19-21, 2010, Roots & Shoots California hosted the annual California Youth Leadership Summit. Roots & Shoots groups came from all over the state, with 100 attendees representing twelve Roots & Shoots groups in California. One California-based group even travelled from Idaho to join us there! Click for a re-cap of this year's Summit, as well as Summit 2010 photos.

The application process for the Roots & Shoots California Youth Leadership Council (CAYLC) has begun! Outstanding young leaders provide valuable input and direction for our program. Council Members meet regularly to provide support for other Roots & Shoots groups and strengthen the global Roots & Shoots network. Apply today to make your impact! All submissions are due by January 7th, 2011. Click to read more about what it means to be a Council member, and to apply!

There is at least one way to help make your holiday season more eco-friendly! Wrapping paper is often a necessary part of gift-giving, but can be quite wasteful. That is why Roots & Shoots California is having an eco-wrapping challenge! Click for details on how YOU could ring in the New Year with Mr. H Jr.!

Tis the season... for energy efficient decorations! Check out Earth Hawks Roots & Shoots' cool LED light exchange project!

Pepsi is giving away millions to fund great ideas. Voting for the new ideas is now open. Roots & Shoots in Los Angeles is in the running for $50,000 and you can help us win it! Visit the Pepsi Refresh Challenge and vote everyday through November 30 to help us win.

From November 19-21, 2010, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) global environmental and humanitarian youth program, is partnering with the Ocean Institute (www.ocean-institute.org) to host the 2010 California Youth Leadership Summit.

On October 18, Roots & Shoots California had our first 2010 SF Bay Area Gathering! Click to learn more about the event and what we have planned for 2011.

In keeping with our Pepsi Refresh Challenge idea to save California costal endangered species, Dons Net Cafe participated in a some costal conservation projects! Click to read more about this Roots & Shoots group's awesome activities,

The Day of Peace 2010 celebration on the Santa Monica Pier was a major success! The main stage held such amazing acts as Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande and CAYLC member Jackie G. Meanwhile, Roots & Shoots groups gathered together and shared the change-making projects they have been working on with each other and other Day of Peace attendees. Read more about this fantastic event, including the special announcement we made debuted for the first time!

Our Project Highlight section is being replaced this month with a special announcement: the Sequoia Park Zoo Roots & Shoots group is this year's Group of the Year! The title is awarded based on most projects reported. The group received their award at the Day of Peace at Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, September 19, 2010 in recognition and appreciation of all their fantastic work promoting care and concern for people, animals, and the environment. Click to read more about this amazing group!

The Get to Know contest is back! Get to Know invites children and youth (age 18 & under) to get outdoors, "get to know" our wild neighbors of other species, and create art, writing, photos or video based on first-hand experience with nature. Click for more info on this year's contest themes and California launch events!

San Francisco's Tenderloin Green Thumb Eagles R&S group recently accepted a Gold Barnum Award for their excellence in service to their community. The gold medal comes with $1,000 to fund future community service endeavors. In the wake of the Barnum win, group leader and adult supervisor Tyler Shaw gave an inspiring interview to KCBS, where he discusses the amazing Dr. Jane encounter that changed is life, as well as his subsequent journey with the Eagles. Click for more!

Dry Creek R&S reported not one, not two, but six projects during the month of July 2010. One of these projects was "Seedlings for Mori Point," for which they organized members of their community around Pacifica, CA's Mori Point and were able to re-pot close to 1000 native plant seedlings, which will refurbish Mori Point come winter. Since their inception in October 2005, Dry Creek has reported almost 50 projects. Click to learn more about this amazing group and their projects!

Members of the California Youth Leadership Council lead a project at the Skirball Cultural Center where young visitors had the opportunity to learn about three local endangered species in California, and make a pledge to help conserve and protect them.

Ecologists have discovered an unlikely link between cell phones and gorilla survival. The Los Angeles Zoo Roots & Shoots group needs YOUR help collecting old cell phones! They invite Roots & Shoots members to collaborate with them on this citywide project by helping collect phones. Find out how you and your group can get involved!

When Connie Forslind's second grade class at Rancho Romero School heard about the devastating earthquake in Haiti, they knew they had to help. They were inspired by the story of a dog named Pearl, a shelter dog who was adopted and trained in disaster relief, and wrote and illustrated a book about her story in order to raise funds for search and rescue dog training. Buy their book today to support their efforts, and find out more about their fantastic project!

Have you been wondering what you and your Roots & Shoots group can do to help clean up the oil in the gulf? Wonder no more, and act now! Check out Matter of Trust, an amazing organization that collects animal and human hair, fleece, feathers, and nylons, which volunteers use to create natural fiber booms that soak up oil spills. Click to read about all the different ways you can help!

Realizing the effect that cutting forests for firewood and cooking fuel has on both gorilla populations and the well-being of local communities, the Los Angeles Zoo ECO-Corps build a mini fuel-efficient stove model and set-up a demonstration at the United Nations Year of the Gorilla Event. Click to learn more about their efforts and fuel-efficient stoves!

Have you been to the Team Marine website lately? Seen their documentary? Their impressive list of awards? This is one busy Roots & Shoots group! They research and compete, they lobby and teach, and they’re not afraid to tap into their creative sides! Click to check out Team Marine's stellar example of what a R&S group can do.

Have you heard? Another endorsement letter for Roots & Shoots has just arrived! LA’s BEST, a nationally recognized provider of after-school programming, has officially endorsed Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. Click to read all about it!

Roots & Shoots staff and CAYLC members presented at the Sally Ride Science Festival, which aims to inspire a love of science in 5th—8th grade girls. Click to read more about Sally Ride Science and Roots & Shoots activities!

The Berkeley Office spread Dr. Jane's message of hope to Oakland Zoo visitors with California Poppy Peace Pods! Read all about the event Roots & Shoots staff and interns recently attended in honor of Earth Day, including our Peace Pod project!

"What a healing day for the soul!" exclaimed Don's Net Cafe group leader Ms. B. Click to read about their successful event!

In late March, CAYLC member Miranda M. was recognized by the Climate Community as Citizen of the Week! Click to read about Miranda, her work with Roots & Shoots, and her recent accomplishment.

Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, California Region has been selected as one of nine local non-profits to receive funding from Green Wish Foundation! Click to read more and to see how you can get involved!

Meet Kai N., the starting speaker in Sequoia Park Zoo’s Guest Speaker Program. Kai has spent hundreds of hours volunteering at the Zoo, and has been very involved as a speaker inspiring youth both at home and around the world. Did we mention yet that Kai is a Roots & Shoots California Youth Leadership Council (CAYLC) member? Click to read more about Kai and his work with Roots & Shoots!

How do you think Team Marine spent this year's spring break? Road Trip! Click to read about what they accomplished in Sacramento.

Team Marine showed the film Tapped to community members and fellow students, successfully drawing a crowd of 150 people to the event.

Team Marine meets James Cameron for an invite only screening of Avatar in 3D!

Read how Roots & Shoots California's Regional Director Karen Oxrider celebrated National Women's History Month at The California Museum in Sacramento!

Congratulations to The Green Dream Roots & Shoots Group, who has been making an amazing difference in their community and the world through their Lifestraw Challenge project. Read all about Green Dream's success as well as Roots & Shoots California's next big water initiative!

Click to find out what Roots & Shoots California staff, the CAYLC, and five L.A. area Roots & Shoots groups were up to at the March 13 L.A. Environmental Education Fair!

Click the "About Us" tab above to read all about your Roots & Shoots California Team, including our new additions!

Click to read why everyone at Santa Barbara High School has been talking about Don's Net Cafe Roots & Shoots.

The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet, and they are looking for 2010 nominations!

Endangered Species Big Year is an amazing opportunity to do Roots & Shoots animal community projects in the San Francisco Bay Area! Click to read more about Big Year and how you and your R&S Group can get involved.

The makers of Green Works natural cleaners are awarding six grants totaling $60,000. Roots & Shoots Ca. groups, get nominated for a Green Heroes grant! Click to read more about this exciting opportunity.

Were you unable to do a project on MLK Day? Never fear, Valentine's Day is almost here! Click to see how you can Help Haiti Now, while getting in the Valentine's Day spirit.

The Roots & Shoots California Youth Leadership Council is seeking motivated, goal oriented, and fun Roots & Shoots members to join them in making an even bigger difference in their communities and around the world. Apply today, and be the change you wish to see.

Click to read about a grant opportunity for Roots & Shoots teachers to integrate environmental education into their curriculum with Classroom Earth, a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Click to check out L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Service Learning Advocate Cathryn Berger Kaye's Roots & Shoots Ca. endorsement letters!

Calling all expiring and expired Roots & Shoots groups! If you renew your membership before January 31, 2010, you could win a 2010 Tchimpounga Calendar, signed by Dr. Jane herself!