Jane Goodall returns to WestConn April 27
DANBURY, CONN. — World-famous scientist Dr. Jane Goodall will return to Western Connecticut State University on Friday, April 27, to continue her outreach to students and the community. Goodall also will witness the success and growth of the National Center for University Roots & Shoots, which she entrusted to WestConn several years ago.
Highlights of Goodall’s visit this year include a campus symposium, “Why Should We Care?” that will focus on people who have made positive large-scale change in the region, and a public lecture in the William O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center on the university’s Westside campus, Lake Avenue Extension in Danbury, at 7 p.m.
And Goodall will continue her popular meetings with local school children.
“Jane’s first Roots & Shoots event was in 2001 in Room 201 of the Student Center,” said Dr. Howard Russock, chairman of WestConn’s biological and environmental sciences department.
“Then the next year they didn’t all fit, so we split them into K-5 and 6-12. Then they didn’t all fit, so we moved them to the O’Neill Center and there are 500 in each session.”
This year, billed as “A Conversation with Jane,” students will make presentations of their work and discuss issues with Goodall.
Grace Felten, coordinator of the university Roots & Shoots program, also has arranged for Goodall to turn the ceremonial first shovel of dirt in a new garden at the Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Magnet School on the Westside campus during her one-day visit. And Felten has just convened the first meeting of the College Leadership Council with Roots & Shoots student leaders from around the country who will work on keeping university branches vigorous. That is in addition to organizing the third Roots & Shoots summit for university branches on April 27, 28 and 29 at Clearpool Education Center in Carmel, N.Y.
The summits, Felten said, are “very motivating and inspiring. It’s also a great place to network and get feedback on ideas. Mostly I found they get so motivated by talking to each other. We also give them ideas about resources to develop their programs.”
The latest project is a 10-day trip to Shanghai, China, for four Roots & Shoots leaders that could lead to strong inroads for the organization in Asia.
Felten started her job full time in January, right after her wedding. Things have been busy, she admitted, but “there are all these opportunities I can’t turn down!”
When Goodall first visited WestConn in 2001, there were nine university Roots & Shoots groups. There are 140 now in the United States and Canada.
Each university group is charged with having events each year that aid the environment, animals and the human population.
Much of the work to expand was financed with a $198,400 federal grant that Russock and former Roots & Shoots administrator Rick Asselta solicited. Felten took over for Asselta when he retired and is charged with ensuring the project grows at universities around the world.
“There are many groups that are active three years, then one or two students who are dynamic graduate and all of a sudden no one has heard of it before,” Felten said. “Basically, we need one student excited about the program and one adviser at each campus.”
It doesn’t hurt to have Jane Goodall on your side, either.
Goodall will speak at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 27, at the William O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center on the Westside campus. Goodall’s talk will be followed by a booksigning. The public is invited. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children, plus a handling fee.
For tickets and information, call (203) 837-8499 or visit www.wcsu.edu/tickets.
