Author: Ashley Sullivan

Written by Emily Romano, CCO & Co-Founder of Boomcast The Life Code Having an interest in and a compassion for all living things is something I believe we are born with. We don’t like to see people unhappy, we try to help them. We connect with animals and care for them deeply. There is not a single kid I know of who doesn’t think nature is miraculous and beautiful. Sometimes we lose sight of these wonders as we grow older and assimilate into society. We turn a blind eye to injustice and wrong-doing in favor of comfort. Luckily, I had…

UPDATE: Last year, after using a colony of more than 60 chimpanzees on an island off the coast of Liberia for 30 years of biomedical research, the New York Blood Center withdrew all funding and left them to die. Last week, after private negotiations between the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the New York Blood Center, the center declared it would only be willing to cover a tiny percentage of the costs of care for abandoned chimps, and continues to refuse responsibility for their long term care. In 2015, caretakers at the island facility led an outcry which initiated…

What rhymes with mandolin and is compared to “a pine cone or globe artichoke” on wikipedia? Oh yeah, it’s the pangolin. These mammals have A LOT going on: they’re the only ones with scales rather than hair, they give birth to a single offspring called a “pup” (AW), they climb trees, they dig burrows, they live in ecosystems alongside many of our favorite primates (chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans) and they hurt us with their cuteness. Here’s the scaly scoop: There are eight species across Asia and Africa. Pangolins are closely related to anteaters, and if ants aren’t your friends, the…

On Primate Day, we get to go planet of the apes (and other primates) by fully embracing our affections for some of the most fascinating and dynamic creatures on earth! Their uniqueness as an order cannot be muted, as they are spread across nearly every continent from mangrove beaches to misty mountain ranges, are generalists (adapting to almost any environment and exhibiting an impossible range of characteristics), and account for 25-40% of the fruit eating animals within tropical rainforests, helping to keep the forests alive and flourishing. They’re kind of a big deal. Last week, researchers from around the world…

Humans are 60% water – we’re essentially jello with brains and bones – but do you know where the water you drink comes from? It is more than half of every single person on earth’s total composition, yet according to the Nature Conservancy, 77% of Americans polled were unable to correctly identify their source of drinking water. (Find out more about the poll.) If the facts and issues around water are not so crystal clear, where do you begin? What can people do? Luckily, Roots & Shoots youth are no ordinary humans; they’re made of curiosity and action! (Though still made up of…

The Olympic games often show us the greatness possible within humanity – our strengths, our teamwork, our ever expanding dreams for glory and defying the odds. This Olympic games opening ceremony focused on an area humans are still struggling with: Global Warming. As we witness individuals push themselves to the brink of their abilities and imagination, it was a welcome juxtaposition to also consider what we have yet to achieve in becoming more conscious of the threats facing our planet. These ideas combine to create a window into what we CAN do, and at the forefront was the work of…

What began as a step toward freedom for research chimpanzees, is now a solid plan to realize that goal. This is the way out, and there’s light at the end of the tunnel we can finally see. Animal research has always lived at the crossroads between considering what is good for humankind, and what is the right of the animals being used. The cost and benefit model does not always consider the true effects, or allow for agreement around what we deem ethical. In 2013, progress occurred in the form of a deeper examination of the merits of using primates…

Something is not right. She flares out her ears and her tail begins to stand up. She begins to rumble from the part of her that knows what is about to happen, and still fears it and runs. There is a sound like the sound when light flashes in the sky and hits the ground, and then a trumpet scream of what is lost. Her mother has been shot and is motionless, as are others in her group – her family. There is a band of men ready to divide up the parts that made this 10,000 lbs elephant most…

When we were young, we would sing “a dream is a wish your heart makes.” Beyond the pixie dust choking that sentiment, there is a core of truth. When we wish for better days and better situations, it is a dream our heart makes. That is the task of the Roots & Shoots youth program, and the inspiration Jane Goodall has provided the next generation – to dream, and to turn those thoughts into wishes. What young people do with those wishes, is turn them into action. In St. Louis Park, a group of young people leading a JGI Roots &…

The world needs two kinds of people – tree huggers AND tree defenders. Well, perhaps the world needs many more sorts of people than just those two: but most critically for conservation work are those who love, research and share information about natural environments, as well as the brave individuals who protect those areas from harm. This day is for the Rangers. On the 31st of July each year, we commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty, along with the outstanding everyday work Rangers do to protect the earth’s cultural and natural wonders. In collaboration with the…