"Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world." --Dr. Jane Goodall
"The Roots & Shoots program began in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1991, with a gathering of 16 students on Dr. Jane's front porch. The students were fascinated by animal behavior and environmental concerns, but none of their classes covered these topics. The group met with Dr. Jane to determine how they could address these issues through out-of-school activities. Discussion ranged from how to help chimpanzees and other animals to how the students' actions might affect their local communities. Those 16 students went back to their schools with the task of forming clubs with other interested young people, and Roots & Shoots began. Since then, the program has spread rapidly throughout the world. More than 3,000 Roots & Shoots groups have registered in more than 68 countries around the world."--Goodall web page.
For more information, see the Jane Goodall Institute.