Ending the Ivory Trade
With the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species preparing for its 17th annual Conference of Parties, the United States has taken the opportunity to strengthen its own commitment to protecting endangered species. The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently instituted a near-total ban on domestic commercial ivory trading. This ban seriously limits imports, exports […]
Community Collaboration in Action: Butterfly Gardens
11 year old, Iris Rosenhagen, saw a problem in her community and set out to do something about it. In February, Iris founded the Community for Animal Respect and Education (C.A.R.E.), an organization created to educate people about the challenges animals face in today’s world, and inspire them to help. Under Iris’s leadership C.A.R.E. recently […]
Gombe Science Round Up
On July 14, 2015 , the Jane Goodall Institute and people all over the globe celebrated the 55th anniversary of groundbreaking research at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. Gombe is where Dr. Jane Goodall’s legacy began, and is the place where we began to learn just how intelligent and complex chimpanzees really are. The work […]
The World Becomes What We Teach
Have you ever heard of the term “humane education?” If you have, you’ve likely heard of Zoe Weil. Zoe is an inspirational and influential humane educator. She is the cofounder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, and the author of seven books. Zoe has also spoken at six TEDx events. In addition, she […]
Celebrating National Pollinator Week With Roots & Shoots
How does an organism that can’t move spread out across a continent? Plants have struggled with that dilemma since their evolution. Some let the wind or water carry their pollen and seeds out into the world. Others prefer to get a little help from their animal neighbors. That’s where pollinators come in. Pollinators are a […]
World Refugee Day
Today is World Refugee Day. A day for us to reflect on the plight of the hundreds of thousands of refugees around the world. People – men, women, and children – who have escaped from countries torn apart by the horrors of war and violence. Or left their homes and all that they know in […]
Meet Miss Monica’s Summit School Roots & Shoots Group
“Miss Monica” Hamilton’s Roots & Shoots group at Summit Schools in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is made up of 14 3rd graders each equipped with an iPad and an eagerness to make good things happen in the community. After participating in the 2015 Roots & Shoots free online course, Monica, who has been teaching for more […]
All About Chimpanzee Dads
Although chimpanzee mothers forge strong, often lifelong bonds with their infants, chimpanzee dads seem to be pretty hands-off when it comes to caring for their offspring. However, in the last few years there have been a few studies looking at what makes a “successful” chimpanzee father, and how a chimpanzee dad’s social rank can help […]
Less meat, healthier environment?
In January 2016, I decided to stop eating meat. It wasn’t a New Year’s resolution because it wasn’t the same as deciding to eat less sugar or exercise more. This decision felt like a natural change for me. I was becoming tired of ignoring the guilt I felt each time I ate meat. At the […]
New Report Strikes a Blow Against Trophy Hunting
Can killing an animal help preserve its species? Proponents of trophy hunting certainly seem to think so. The argument goes a little something like this: trophy hunters pay a lot of money to go on these hunts, and that money goes towards conserving the species and ensuring that the populations remain stable. Or at least […]
