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!

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