1. Join JGIA to Climb for Chimps!
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? If, like us, you love chimpanzees and travel then you will be thrilled to learn that we have partnered with travel company Inspired Adventures to offer you the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and meet the famous chimpanzees of Gombe. As part of this incredible adventure, you’ll gain the experience of a lifetime atop the majestic Kilimanjaro all while raising funds to help the chimpanzee communities within Gombe National Park. You will walk in the footsteps of Dr. Jane Goodall and witness firsthand the wonders of Africa while supporting endangered chimpanzees, their habitat and the local communities that surround them.
This incredible journey is taking place in February 2017. In the lead up to your departure, you will have a team supporting your fundraising efforts, creating your personal fundraising page to let your friends and family know about your amazing adventure as well as invitations to exclusive events with your fellow trekkers.. For more information visit our microsite and register your details so we can fill you in. We can’t wait to see you in Africa!
2. Mobile Phone Recycling Launch around Australia
Our annual mobile phone recycling campaign officially launched on the 26th of January! We are asking schools, workplaces, communities and individuals to come together to support this important campaign across the nation. By joining you will be helping stop the illegal mining of coltan, a recyclable mineral used in many electronics. Coltan is considered a conflict mineral and mining results in the clearing of essential Great Ape habitat and leads to population decline in endangered species such as chimpanzees.
To join, visit our campaign landing page and sign up. We will send a collection box to your school or workplace, and arrange for free courier collection. You can also download posters and educational material to spread the word about how important it is to recycle electronic devices. It’s free, easy and a great way for you to make a difference!
3. Roots & Shoots 25th Anniversary is on 19th February
Back in 1991, Dr. Jane Goodall created Roots & Shoots with 12 Tanzanian high school students who wanted to tackle crucial problems they observed in their local community. Since then, we have been “growing together” as a global Roots & Shoots family. Now in more than 140 countries, thousands of Roots & Shoots members work on issues concerning Animals, People and our shared Environment, the APE philosophy, in their communities and across the globe. As Dr Jane says “I am immensely proud of all those who have been a part of the programme over the years and hope that 2016 will be a year of celebration of all that Roots & Shoots has achieved and a platform to launch us ever further in the years ahead.”
To celebrate our 25th anniversary we are encouraging YOU to plant a tree to celebrate this milestone with us. Please share your celebration by using the global #rootsandshoots25. We will also feature a daily profile on our Facebook page from a Roots & Shoots member from 25 different countries across the globe making a difference everyday. Be a part of the movement and join Roots & Shoots today.
4. Did you know? Chimpanzees are apes not monkeys
According to the Lunar Calendar, this is the Year of the Monkey and we’ve been hearing lots about how excited everyone is to celebrate these magnificent creatures. While we do love monkeys, chimpanzees, along with gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and one other (can you guess?) are all actually great apes. The main differences are that most monkeys have an easily visible tail, but no apes do, and monkeys live primarily in trees whereas apes are built for a life in the trees and on the ground.
And if you’ve figured out who the other great ape species is, you might also be interested to know that Dr Jane Goodall was the first to dispel the myth of one the major differences between humans and chimpanzees. Prior to Dr Jane’s pioneering research, humans were known as “man the toolmaker”. Her ground-breaking and controversial discovery that chimps could make and use tools, for example using grass blades to fish termites out of mounds, meant that Jane became known as “the woman who redefined man”.
For more on chimps, apes and Dr Goodall, visit our website to learn more about our amazing primate cousins.
5. Meet Cheempo, an adorable toy and with a big message
Our friends at JGI Spain have introduced Cheempo, a soft toy chimpanzee with a real impact. Purchasing Cheempo is easy and you will be supporting chimpanzee conservation and protection projects. Cheempo will come with instructions on how to learn more about chimp habitats live through Augmented Reality via your smartphone or tablet. Buy your Cheempo today via the crowd funding page.
This initiative is in partnership with eZoo, which is a paradigm shift in the way of displaying animals in zoos without captivity by fascinating multimedia audiovisual technologies. eZOO will allocate 50% of the profit from Cheempo sales to JGI for the protection of biodiversity in reserves, sanctuaries and national parks. This new type of toy will immerse children in the eZOO world, helping them learn about supporting the protection and conservation of biodiversity, from an early age.
