Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 11/18/99
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   12

Editors: Photo accompanies release   Please note local interest
SLU STUDENTS FOUND "ROOTS AND SHOOTS" CHAPTER
     HAMMOND -- Inspired by their participation in a national workshop, three Southeastern
Louisiana University biological sciences majors have organized a campus chapter of "Roots and
Shoots," an environmental and humanitarian program for youth founded by internationally
renowned archeologist Jane Goodall.
     Leslie Underwood of Abita Springs, Michelle Hollis of Covington and Chris Davidson of
Mandeville were among college students from throughout the United States and Canada who
attended the Roots and Shoots summit in Edgewater, Md., in October.
     Michael Greene, director of Southeastern's Connections Program, said the Southeastern
students returned to campus "fired up" about establishing a Roots and Shoots chapter and thrilled
by their opportunity to hear Goodall speak. Connections, along with Southeastern's biological
sciences department and the College of Arts and Sciences, sponsored the trip.
     "Southeastern was invited to participate in the summit because Roots and Shoots was
targeting schools not represented in the movement before," Greene said.
     Goodall started Roots and Shoots in 1991 with a group of young children in Tanzania,
East Africa. The Roots and Shoots movement has since spread to more than 50 countries and
now includes students of all ages. Worldwide, 15,000 students take part in this program, which
teaches participants to observe and understand the world around them, and encourages active
involvement in environmental and humanitarian issues.
     Underwood, Hollis and Davidson hosted Southeastern's first Roots and Shoots meeting
on Nov. 10. The trio also helped round up volunteers for a workday at Southeastern's new
outdoor classroom on North Oak Street, and are organizing a Global Wildlife Center field trip for 
                             (MORE)
ROOTS AND SHOOTS   Add One
PRIDE, Southeastern's organization for physically challenged students.
     Underwood, a senior, said the Maryland summit was "an overwhelming spiritual and
education retreat." Activities included environmental education workshops with children, hiking
and canoeing, tree planting and brainstorming sessions on a manual for college Roots and Shoots
chapters. 
     At their first meeting, Southeastern's Roots and Shoots students brainstormed about
future projects, turning up ideas such as coordinating a butterfly garden for Southeastern Lab
School students, helping plant cypress seedlings at Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station,
mentoring high school groups involved in various environmental activities and participating in
campus and community clean ups.
     "Roots and Shoots is a way to give self-empowerment to all kinds of ideas and interests,"
Underwood said. The chapter is not just for science students, she stressed. "We're interested in
hearing from all the different segments on campus."
     Students interested in participating in Roots and Shoots can contact Underwood at
istu36543@selu.edu, Hollis at worldgaia@hotmail.com or Greene at mgreene@selu.edu.
                             -SLU-
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      www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf99.htm