We The Children - Community Building for Climate...by Kids

Welcome to the We The Children podcast, the podcast where kids talk climate change! The show is hosted by your resident kid, Zachary James. He may be 11 years old, but he has big concerns for our future - concerns about how decades and even centuries of our forebears have done damage to our planet and profited at the expense of our future. Each week, we will discuss the most pressing climate issues and meet climate warriors who are working to protect our planet. You’ll get wacky weather reports, play fun trivia games, and learn ways that you can make a difference in your community. We may not have all the answers, but we will fight for climate solutions!

Today’s episode is all about conservation with Shawn Sweeney, Associate Vice President of Communications and Policy at the Jane Goodall Institute. His career has spanned many years of combining his passion for the environment, research, and community relations. He shares that while he has worked in conservation for about 15 years, his work in the field really began by studying animal behavior and conservation psychology in college. He became aware of how black-capped capuchin monkeys, were treated in the wild and the extinction they faced. He studied animal behavior at the College of Wooster and got to work on some really cool projects there. He shares his history of being a nature and wildlife champion. Shawn is a storyteller in his role at the Jane Goodall Institute. He emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience as a communicator. During college, Shawn was introduced to Roots & Shoots when they visited a local high school. He was so inspired by the power of the group that he started his very own on campus. Then, people were just beginning to talk about these conversations around sustainability and the climate crisis. Jane Goodall began Roots & Shoots to give young people the opportunity to make a difference in their own communities. They have developed a 4-step formula for young people to follow in order to generate the most impact possible. Next, Shawn shares how young people can get started on their own projects within their communities. These include identifying a problem, utilizing community mapping and designing a project of your own. Shawn also shares how the Roots & Shoots team have leveraged Dr. Jane’s gift of storytelling to create a framework and training for the entire team. When telling these stories, it is important to recognize and give credit to the person who did the work in order for the story to be told. Before wrapping up, he explains the oppressive systems in place which create unhealthy conditions for humans and animals alike. Changing these systems is the key to fighting climate change and species extinction, and Shawn has hope for younger generations and the power of community. Links: Learn more about Shawn Sweeney and Roots & Shoots. Learn more about We The Children. Reach out to us @wethechildrenpodcast Thanks for listening! And always remember, if we act together, we the children, can inspire hope and create change for our climate! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.