Great Apes Giving Day is a day to choose what kind of difference you want to make, and in this case, for a cause very close to Dr. Jane and the Jane Goodall Institute’s heart: providing rehabilitation and refuge for orphaned chimpanzees. For 25 years, the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center has assisted in the fight against wildlife trafficking and poaching. The sanctuary assists local authorities in preventing illegal trafficking of great apes in addition to providing a safe haven for injured, ill, or malnourished chimpanzees that have been rescued. This year, the Jane Goodall Institute has set a goal to raise $30,000 to help the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center continue its critical work protecting chimpanzees. (If you’d like to show you care for rescued chimps, consider helping JGI reach their goal here.)
Roots & Shoots groups have also been working to support chimpanzees through a variety of service campaigns, from making edible necklaces and other art to draw awareness and educate others about how their actions as consumers can protect great apes.
Here are a few examples of Roots & Shoots projects that may inspire your own campaign to celebrate Great Apes Giving Day:
Chimpanzee Enrichment Edible Necklaces ‘17
Elementary schoolers in the Tom McCall Roots & Shoots group from Bend, Oregon, decided to help chimpanzees at the local Chimps, Inc Sanctuary. After becoming more aware of the problems wild animals face in the entertainment industry, with drug companies, and being raised in peoples’ homes, group members wanted to do their part to help chimpanzees. They decided to make edible necklaces with cheerios, dried fruit and natural jute string to donate to Chimps, Inc sanctuary. After 3 group meetings, they were able to make 70 necklaces, bringing happiness to the lives of the chimpanzees!
The Art of Conservation
10-year-old Roots & Shoots member Bria decided to help protect chimpanzees and their communities through art. She set an amazing goal of raising $2000 by her 11th birthday, creating a website to sell her art and sharing her Team Jane fundraising page.. With her slogan “Saving Animals one Painting at a Time,” Bria proves that people of all ages can make a difference for animals and the environment.
Caring for Chimps in Chicago
The work of the Lincoln Park Zoo Conservation Ambassador Board is an example of how a local community can help animals, even if they’re on the other side of the world. They decided to educate the people of Chicago about the chimpanzee’s status as an endangered animal and how they can still protect them even if the great apes are not a native species to their area. Through an Educational Outreach Event, the Roots & Shoots group hoped to inspire Chicago citizens to think about how their actions as consumers can help chimpanzees and other endangered species.
Food Composting for Chimps
A third grader named Allison decided to educate her community about the benefits of composting for the environment by decreasing water usage and methane gas production. She even made her own video encouraging people to compost and purchase biodegradable bags from her to raise money for her class to be a chimpanzee guardian.
Feeling inspired? Sign up for Roots & Shoots to create your own campaign, join the conversation about Wildlife Trafficking, Poaching, Pet and Bushmeat Trade in the Roots & Shoots community on Facebook, or donate here for Great Apes Giving Day.
The Jane Goodall Institute is a global community conservation organization that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall. By protecting chimpanzees and inspiring people to conserve the natural world we all share, we improve the lives of people, animals and the environment. Everything is connected—everyone can make a difference.
