1 Our Photograph Winner
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WINTER TERM 2018 INSIDE... gr g gr w w The newsletter of The Peace Day 2018 Our Windsor Castle Where is Jane? – Page 3 gathering – Page 5 – Page 5 UNITED KINGDOM Our Photograph Winner Ella McIvor enjoys her NG Prize! Ella and Eden at the Dear Members, Wetlands Centre As we approach the end of another extremely London hectic but productiveAUTUMN year, it’s alwaysTERM wise 2015 to take a few moments of reflection out of our busy schedules. We lead such hectic lives these days that we often miss the things that are right in front of us. Technology, for all its advances, hasn’t helped this process. More often than not, it has indeed added to our already heavy workload. Commitment to digital gadgets and what is now described as ‘screen time’ has become practically addictive; creating distance, especially with our younger Davies Lisa Photos: generation, from the natural world. “As the winner of the Roots & Shoots the wildlife choose to come here of That’s why I get such great pleasure when Most Outstanding Photograph their own free will, often migrating I read all about your on-going dedication competition I was lucky to be invited many hundreds or even thousands and commitment to our planet and have to visit the London HQ of National of miles. That’s what makes it so the privilege of visiting our many member Geographic Kids Magazine to look special – it is as natural as can be. schools who have created amazing projects behind the scenes of the making Getting to see birds doing their thing in and around the natural environment. See of the magazines and the photos is what the centre is all about! As inside for more details on their efforts and hard work. behind the stories. well as the hides which overlook the I learned about the editing lakes to watch the birds (some with As for compassion, which is also a commodity process and where the photos come telescopes) there are lots of guided in short supply in our society today, Christmas from and how they come up with tours as well as special activities is the perfect opportunity for us to explore its new stories each week. I met the and challenges for young rangers. real meaning. Let’s take some time out during team and it looked the most fun My friend Eden and I learned the holiday season to put it to work in our everyday lives. place to work ever – they even gave how to spot birds and identify us cake. I came out thinking I really their everyday behaviour such as Wishing you a very Merry one and all the wanted to work there. Best job ever! dabbling and preening. We used a best for the New Year. The next part of the day was to checklist to note our observations visit The London Wetland Centre and kept a logbook. - the perfect photo opportunity! It The centre isn’t just about birds, is a wonderful place to spot and it also focuses on inhabitants of the photograph birds of all kinds in ponds and we really enjoyed pond their natural habitat. Even with dipping, swirling our nets to catch Tara Golshan planes close overhead it feels like and examine pond life under a giant Executive Director, Education a wilderness with huge lakes and microscope. woodland right in the middle But my favourite were the otters, of London. Unlike many of the Todd and Pip. I know they are not wonderful places in London like the royal parks and zoo, most of continued 1 UNITED KINGDOM FEATURED SCHOOL FEATURED SCHOOL Students at Damers prove Mad Hatters themselves to be unstoppable! Nursery – never Since the Roots & Shoots too young to Awards in March the school has make a positive embedded the R&S pledges. Each class makes a pledge each difference! half term to help the community, animals or the environment. 2 Mad Hatters Bug Hotel with boys rescuing bee Photo: Mad Hatters Nursery Hatters Mad Photo: 1 Photos: Damers First Damers School Photos: Mad Hatters nursery is fortunate It is monitored by teachers and our enough to have a wonderful outdoor junior governors and at the end, space, home to two beautiful, white the class who has made the biggest rabbits called Marshmallow and impact wins Mr H Junior for the next 3 Sweetie, and filled with lots of half term. Pledges include making children’s toys, swings and Wendy- 1. Planting in the school garden. Poundbury plastic free, designing and houses. Looking after the rabbits and 2. Recycling. 3. Selling at Poundbury making bug hotels to bring nature to any other insects found in the play area Farmers Market. the school grounds, to bring the outside is encouraged. indoors and to make the air inside our Throughout the year the little ones classrooms healthier. Following our trip read the full article on the Roots & regularly check their digging patch to the Roots & Shoots awards Sophie, a Shoots website: bit.ly/RSDamers and bug hotel for new guests. Pieces of pupil in Year 3, said it was a magical day Catherine Smith, Headteacher bark, wood and stone are collected and that she will always remember and it has couldn’t feel more proud of the school’s added to the bug hotel so it’s forever inspired her to follow in Jane Goodall’s achievements in this area over the last being extended to make room for more footsteps. few years. ‘Our move to a new school guests. Black Beetles, woodlice, spiders, At Damers we get lots of organisations site in Poundbury in April 2017 has centipedes, wasps, bees, ants and to work with the children. These include: provided us with so many opportunities worms are often in residence. Urban Health Partnership, Butterfly to share our relentless efforts in this area A while back, a small child took one Conservation, RSPB, Weymouth and with local businesses and the community. of the teacher’s hands and led her Dorchester Beekeeper Association, Our children are natural leaders and to a puddle where they found a bee East Dorset Bat Rescue and Rehab and have some powerful messages to share struggling to float in the water. ‘Mrs Hedgehog Friendly Dorchester. Their with regard to sustainability and our Casey, we need to rescue him!’ the child talks come alive because they bring place of responsibility in the natural exclaimed. The teacher carefully let the their wildlife friends to school for the world and I feel incredibly proud to bee climb onto the palm of her hand children to see, touch and hold. We watch them work their magic on a daily where its wings started to dry and it will be adopting some hedgehogs from basis. They are driven by their mission began ‘buzz, buzz, buzzing, buzzing,’ as October 2018. to ensure that they always choose the the child sang. With Mrs Casey’s help, To learn about all of Damers fantastic positive difference that they want to the little boy filled a saucer with sugar projects and activities in more detail, make however great or small.’ and water. Mrs Casey then held her hand down to the saucer and slowly, but surely, the bee began to crawl off Get your rhino Christmas her palm onto the saucer where it had a revitalising drink. ‘I hope he feels better,’ cards now and help the little one said. ‘Let’s take him to the Roots & Shoots too! bug hotel so we can look after him!’ the child gleamed. This is exactly what http://bit.ly/RSrhinocards they did, and where the bee may well still be. 2 UNITED KINGDOM Our Photograph Winner Ella McIvor enjoys her NG Prize! awards Photo: Lisa Davies natural inhabitants and I know they do not choose to live here but 2019 conservation is close to my heart. The talk from the warden told us about the way Asian short claw otters are being killed in the wild because they are seen as vermin and also sold in markets as Are you ready for tropical pets or for medicine. This means they are now in danger, along with 12 the Awards 2019? other otter species. The need for raising It is our most inspiring event of the awareness with locals is what stayed year! The Roots & Shoots Annual with me the most. Awards gives us the opportunity to I would strongly recommend the meet our hard working groups and London Wetland Centre as it offers an for them to meet each other and interactive, interesting experience where Dr Jane! everybody can learn and have fun. If you have been making a positive Thank you so much NG Kids and Roots difference to change the world Ella and Eden bird watching & Shoots! I had the best time!” around you for the better, we need to hear about it! To learn more about the Roots & Shoots Peace Day 2018 – What a Day! Awards 2019 and to express your interest in attending please email [email protected]. We hope you can join us on 14th March, 2019 at The Barbican to celebrate all your hard work. Everyone at the beautiful Harmony Woods Photos: John Baxter Every year on September 21st, Roots & Shoots groups from around the world gather together to celebrate Roots & Shoots Peace Day and honour Children planting a tree in honour of the UN International Day of Peace. Dr Jane and Peace Day Dr Jane has been a UN Messenger of 5 community engagement sessions at Peace since 2002 and she inspires us town events in July and August to make buzzing with excitement, little doves all to live in harmony with nature doves and write pledges.