The Roots & Shoots Club, advised by Science Teacher Tara Howell, meets Tuesday of every week during lunch in Room 437, where the members search for ways to work together and help the natural environment.
“Roots & Shoots is a good club because people concerned about environmental and social causes can find a place to voice their concerns,” said Howell. “Anyone is welcome to join and become a part of this memorable experience.”
The Roots & Shoots Club decided last year to merge together with the Invisible Children Club, a group that builds schools and gives aid to children in Northern Uganda who have been terrorized by Joseph Kony, leader of the infamous LRA. As a result, the club has two sections, each run by the original Presidents of Roots & Shoots. Senior Bridget Webb is a Co-President and is in charge of Roots & Shoots’ environmental activities. Senior Katelyn Carano, Webb’s fellow Co-President, focuses on fundraising and bringing awareness to the Invisible Children program.
Though it is a unified club, each section has different goals. The main purpose of Roots & Shoots is to work to help repair and conserve our natural environment and resources, according to Webb. On the other hand, the Invisible Children section mainly focuses on fundraising to help children in Africa, according to Carano.
The Invisible Children Club makes an effort to host fundraisers such as making and selling. Though they don’t raise a large amount, they gather money little by little to help build schools in Africa. Future plans include a recycling program, which will not only help the environment, but will also raise some money for the club. “Being President of Roots & Shoots requires a lot of dedication. Good organization skills to plan events are necessary,” said Carano.
Members of Roots & Shoots are credited with volunteer hours for participating in many activities such as canyon cleanups and recycling projects. Each month, with Friends of Rose Canyon, Roots & Shoots has a local canyon restoration project where they restore native habitat and take out invasive ones.
“I think commitment is a key quality because without it, no matter what other skills you have, nothing is really likely to get done,” said Webb. “I hope next year we will have more support to further our environment and social causes.”