Dr Jane Goodall inspires Canterbury students of all ages
Environmentalist, humanitarian and the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees Dame Jane Goodall has taken time in her
New Zealand tour to inspire Canterbury students of all ages, from primary-school age up to University of Canterbury
students in the Student Volunteer Army.
With the theme of thinking globally and acting locally, Dr Goodall visited Sumner School and was hosted by the
University of Canterbury and Sumner School at two special events during her visit to Christchurch this week.
In the six weeks before Dr Goodall’s arrival, Sumner School teachers and children used her Roots and Shoots project
design process to create solutions for regenerating areas in the Port Hills that were devastated by wild fires in
February, managing pollution in the sea, and protecting endangered species. To reflect her immersive approach to
science, the school library created a display of books by and about Dr Goodall.
After she was welcomed with a haka, Dr Goodall spoke to the school students, teachers and parents about the importance
of protecting the local environment while being mindful of global trends such as climate change.
Dr Goodall spoke of “the need to reclaim the environment for future generations” and that “it will be hard work”.
Representatives from each Year of Sumner School presented several ideas generated from the Roots and Shoots process. The
Sumner students’ ideas included producing shopping bags from sustainable material, organising beach clean-up days, and
improving the understanding of how local terrestrial and marine ecosystems work.
Staying with the theme of local involvement to address global challenges, Dr Goodall met with University of Canterbury
students in the Student Volunteer Army and high school participants in the SVA’s UCan programme. Like the Sumner School
students, the high school students had used the Roots and Shoots process to address concerns important to them.
Dr Goodall praised the SVA’s efforts in response to the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes and their sustained
contribution as UC’s largest club and for running the UCan service and leadership programme for Year 12 high school
students.
She drew comparisons to SVA’s impactful actions with her career-long work in the in Gombe Stream National Park,
Tanzania, to research and protect the chimpanzees.
Dr Hamish Cochrane, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) | Tumu Tuarua Akoranga, representing the University of Canterbury
helped host the event, and says he was inspired to pursue science by Dr Goodall’s work.
“It was inspiring to meet the person who through her writing, in particular her book In the Shadow of Man, encouraged me
to become a biologist,” he says.
The UC Community Engagement Hub, led by Associate Professor Billy O’Steen, organised the student events to provide
long-lasting inspiration for all ages and stages of education.
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