Many of you may be familiar with Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist.  But did you know that she is the inspiring founder of an organization that is dedicated to motivating the youth of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.  Roots & Shoots youth take action all over the world by identifying problems in their communities that effect people, animals, and the environment; implementing service projects and youth-led campaigns; and exchanging ideas online and in person.

The organization’s goal is to create a fun, flexible, and supportive environment where young people and adults can share inspirations, participate in special events and worldwide campaigns, and experience successful results.  Kids from around the world participate in their classrooms, home schools, nature centers, neighborhoods, refugee camps, zoos, scout troops, and more.  Projects can range from helping endangered species to implementing reusable bag campaigns to creating tree nurseries to promoting worldwide peace.  According to Dr. Goodall, the answers to so many global problems are in the meaning behind the organization’s name:  “Roots creep underground and make a firm foundation. Shoots may seem weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls.  Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world can break through these walls.”

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

If your household is anything like ours, the kids are often the ones who drive our environmentally-friendly behavior.  We’ve done the homework assignment on measuring our carbon footprint.  We’ve waited longer in the carpool line while the kids finish their turn at collecting the schools recyclables.  And, under the kids’ watchful eyes, we’ve gotten much more vigilant at home with our own plastic and paper recycling efforts.

If you would like to expand your green efforts even further, you should know about Green Maven, a comprehensive search engine that helps you find products and services that are environmentally friendly.  You can search out eco-conscious food items, clothing, gift ideas, pet products, restaurants, beauty and health products, travel destinations, and much, much more!  Here’s your chance to turn the tables on your kids and show them a thing or two!  (Or at least show them that they have been good teachers!)

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Earth Day serves as a needed reminder to be more aware about taking care of our world, being environmentally conscious, and adopting green behaviors.  You and your kids can boost your knowledge by watching some great educational movies and television programming. (Thanks to Family Circle for the great information):

• Born to Be Wild 3D:  An IMAX move about people who rescue and raisie orphaned elephants.
• Planet Earth:  Check out this Discovery Channel serires on different habitats.
• An Inconvenient Truth: For slightly older kids, Al Gore’s film about global warming.
• Oceans: DisneyNature’s extraordinatory visual about the world’s five oceans and the animals that live in them.  

So get some popcorn and snuggle together for some family entertainment.  It’s an easy way to make Earth Day fun and educational.

© YesKidzCan, 2011

Allow us to introduce you to Susan Newmand and Mary Jo Rhodes – two social entrepreneurs passionate about frogs.  Yes, frogs!

They founded an organization called Frogs are Green, a conservation group with the mission of alerting people to the potential extinction of frogs and other amphibians and offering solutions for their survival.

Frogs absorb chemicals into their skin and are extremely sensitive to environmental threats.  We ingest and absorb the same chemicals in our water and other consumer projects, and frogs serve as excellent environmental messengers by showing us potential dangers.  These animals face serious environmental threats from toxins in the environment, climate change, and over collection by the pet, laboratory, and restaurant trade.

To raise funds to support their work, Frogs are Green sells adorable t-shirts, calendars, posters and other resources.  They also offer contests as ways to get children involved.

Frogs are Green offers a fun way for our kids to learn about using business ventures to help solve social problems, and at the same time, learn about the potential threats to an amphibian that is a kid favorite – the green frog.

© YesKidzCan!, 2011

America Recycles Day has been going on since 1997 across America on November 15!  A Keep America Beautiful Program, it is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting recycling programs in the U.S.  Here’s one day where kids, families, neighbors, educators, and community leaders can work together to show what can be accomplished.  You can start with a few fun examples.  Tell your kids that when they recycle 10 cans per week, you save enough energy for 30 hours of TV watching per week!  Or, when they recycle 15 plastic bottles a week, you save enough fiber to make 156 t-shirts per year! Here are some other things to do:

Kids and Family:  Take the America Recycles Day Pledge as a way to start or continue a conversation about recycling.  You can also organize an event with your family or neighbors including a community-wide garage sale; a furniture swap; a magazine donation drive to local hospitals, schools or nursing homes; or turning in toner cartridges, batteries, or computers.

Schools and Community Groups:  Organize a recycling event where kids can take the lead.  Host a waste-free lunch or party with reusable or recyclable items including napkins and silverware. Coordinate a letter-writing campaign to local officials or newspapers encouraging recycling.  Have a poster contest for the best America Recycles Day design.

There are loads more ideas on America Recycles Day website.  You and I may call it recycling.  But our kids will call it fun!

© YesKidzCan!, 2010

 Has your kid ever asked to give you a makeover on a rainy afternoon?  Mine has.  For someone who was called Mary Tyler Moore growing up, the “goth” look truly didn’t cut it on me.  So now when my daughter approaches me with mascara wand in hand, redirection is key!  “Instead of giving mom a makeover,” I say, “why don’t we give the planet a makeover?”

My daughter doesn’t quite know what to make of this gibberish, so she plays along for a moment longer.   I start a conversation (cleverly, I think) about the importance of saving the rainforests.  She seems to understand more about the effects of deforestation than I do.  I don’t care!  The redirection is working!

“Mom, what do you mean by ‘a planet makeover?’” she asks me.  I have her now!  So, I tell her how a company that sells make-up and other beauty products wants to plant one million trees in South America’s Atlantic Rainforest, and we can help.  For just $1.00 (contributed through Avon’s initiative, Hello Green Tomorrow; www.hellogreentomorrow.com) a new tree gets planted.  Hence, Planet Makeover!  We bought “our tree.”  It was a good afternoon.

To be honest, I haven’t avoided future touch-ups and hair-dos at the hands of my daughter.   While my roots may never be the same from the back teasing, the roots we planted that day (both philosophical and actual) were worth it.  And, I didn’t need to leave a tip!

©YesKidzCan!, 2010.