WildChina, Roots & Shoots Empowers Young Women to Travel for Sustainability

“Together we can make a difference; together we will make a difference, and that includes you.”

No one can deny the impact that Dr. Jane Goodall has had on our world. Her name alone conjures the image of adventure, breaking glass ceilings, and an unparalleled devotion to saving and sustaining the earth. Goodall’s origin story can be read almost anywhere, but to hear her tell it at the beginning of WildChina and Roots and Shoot’s workshop for young women “Breaking Into Sustainability: Women’s Empowerment Through Travel,” the most important elements were her self education, encouraging mother, her ability to work and save money as a waitress, and the mentorship of a paleontologist.

As she traveled more and saw how humans were inflicting damage on their earth and changing the world around them for the worse, she started The Jane Goodall Institute, which includes Roots and Shoots. With this pandemic, an ongoing climate crisis, the extinction of plants and animals, social problems all around, Goodall told her online audience, it’s even more important for young women to go out and develop conservation programs in different parts of the world. In case anyone watching was feeling like they don’t have enough to offer, Goodall went on, in a speech I’ve heard her express numerous times but which never fails to speak to me in some new way:

“Every day you live, you make some impact on the planet. You make a choice, as to what you buy and eat and where. Ask yourself if it harmed the environment, if it was cruel to animals, if it’s cheap because of unequal wages paid somewhere. And if those things are true then don’t buy the product. We all can make a difference. And if we all make a difference, then there is hope for our future and the future of our children.”

Although anyone could watch this workshop, the three live speakers spoke from their experience with young women specifically, especially since Hongxiang Huang from China House told us that 80% of his colleagues, interns, and young students are all young women. Hongxiang works to cultivate global citizens among Chinese youth, as he believes that “Young Chinese people have a special role they can communicate with NGOs [Non-government organizations], western media, the local community, and [they]can create a bridge between China and the outside world. When we bring more Chinese people into the global sustainable environment, they will bring improvement.”

Mei Zhang of WildChina cautions that young women drawn to sustainable travel should not limit themselves to experience in the academic field. “Any skills you learn [on a trip]will add to your portfolio: delivering mail, recording sounds of mammal sounds, moving equipment…any job you can get, get it. You are so early on, have fun with it. Pick the island of your choice, pick the beach of your choice, and just go there. Maybe you’re working in bars, but go where the opportunities take you. Of course, be safe,” she hastily adds with a smile. “But build up your skillset. Practice your own elevator pitch” to show organizations how you can be helpful to them.

The third panelist was Shelley Bragg of Good Travel, based in New Zealand. She encourages young women to dig deep and figure out where they’re most passionate because that’s where they’ll naturally put the most energy. “Take whatever opportunities you have to meet new people and take chances, take opportunities to learn as opposed to earn. Whatever can help you get your foot in the door will be valuable.”

Zhang reiterated that idea, telling the story of a young woman who put her passion towards hiking The Great Wall and documenting the plants she found there. She networked and showed her personal commitment and talents on her blog before she asked for contacts to NGOs, and that worked well for her, as she already showed her talents and how she could be of value to an organization.

Hongxiang cautioned viewers to do their due diligence in researching organizations as well, saying if you have to pay for an internship or volunteer opportunity, those are not real internships or volunteers. That doesn’t mean they are bad or won’t be useful to you, but you are getting into something that isn’t what it seems and so should be extra careful about your expectations. “Go beyond their marketing to see what they really are,” he warns.

Then someone asked the question you don’t normally hear in an introductory workshop: How to prevent the white savior complex when people travel, looking to only have an experience that benefits them versus the local community?

Huang works with young people to “Help them understand the diversity, not to see the world as developed and not developed. The world is not a hierarchy – we are just different. We try to prepare the students with a lot of courses for someone to learn about these things before they go.”

Bragg added that even if their intent is good, all travelers must remember that “We are also not the experts in many communities that we visit. We try to find a local partner on the ground that is in that community and we let them take the lead. What activities should we do? What does the community want to show us and then we follow that. We find that helps us navigate those spaces well.”

This barely scratches the surface of the useful advice doled out by these experts, however, and you can still watch the workshop yourself. They do ask that if you view it, please make a donation of any size to Roots & Shoots.

KEEP READING: Slowing Down to Enjoy the Sun: A Forest School State of Mind

Images: Canva, the Jane Goodall Institute