ABOUT
Roots
& Shoots field expedition Programme
In Collaboration with a Department
of study abroad program of the University of Mississippi USA, Roots &
Shoots conducted a field environmental psychology program in Moshi from 8th,
through 11thJanuary2012, in Moshi Tanzania. The program brought
together adults, teachers and people from multiple professionals studying at
the University of Mississippi of providing teachers, adults and students
involved in Roots & Shoots and those working/studying at the Mississippi
University with a deepening inspiration, knowledge and experience of which
otherwise it would have been difficult too for them to experience in life.
The Program involved educational services, cross culture
interactions, field nature interaction/interpretation and hands on activities
for them to feel directly connected to the nature, environments, people,
animals, and increased partnerships along being in a mutual connections where
they share values, and understanding of different cultures, beliefs and
interests regardless of their ethnical, and socio-economical differences. By so
doing the programme helps to develop a generation of really world citizens.
During course of this expedition,
Participants had time to brainstorm, discuss and acquire in-field knowledge and
experience that rendered understanding of wide dimensions of anthropogenic
systems and structures at different landscapes. They also evaluated issues for
the sake of increasing intercultural understanding and use of hands on service
learning activities; as benchmarks to take back this life time experiences for
the rest of their life.
PARTICIPANTS; AMERICANS AND TANZANIANS
S/N
|
AMERICAN
PARTICIPANTS
|
GENDER
|
TANZANIAN
PARTICIPANTS
|
GENDER
|
01
|
Kelsey Lantrip
|
Female
|
Gumbo Mhandeni
|
Female
|
02
|
Olivia Bryant
|
Female
|
Ahimidiwe Makisa
|
Male
|
03
|
Kathryn Cooper
|
Female
|
Zaituni Karim
|
Female
|
04
|
Tiffany Myfield
|
Female
|
Sophia Assenga
|
Female
|
05
|
James Kirchner
|
Male
|
Lisa Chekwaze
|
Female
|
06
|
John Penick
|
Male
|
Deus Cosmus
|
Male
|
07
|
Dr. Laura Johnson
|
Professor
|
Kleruu Sumaye
|
Male
|
08
|
Victoria Vaught
|
Female
|
Japhet Jonas
|
Male
|
|
|
|
Bakari Sekievu
|
Male
|
|
|
|
Cosmas Haule
|
Male
|
ACTIVITIES
Participants interacted through
different games to get used to their names, feelings and behavior. The visit
was held to the Kilimanjaro Vijana wana Mazingira (KIVIWAMA) at Njoro water
springs to learn about botanical interpretation, water catchments and
hydrological systems, tree nurseries, hand made papers and processes involved
in the hand made paper making process.
A visit to LELA Community project
commenced to understand the value of ethno botany in the minds of healing
herbarium and nature conservation. Different techniques used for specimen
storage and ethno botanical research along with traditional treatments and herb
collections were learnt.
A special visit to the Roots
& Shoots Conservation Education site was held to enable participate acquire
traditional knowledge of cooking chagga food, and methods used to promote
sustainable energy alternatives through construction and use of Fuel Efficiency
Stoves. Children’s hanging poles were built even before traditional dances from
America, and Tanzania
had concluded the day.
A special Camping trip to Lake Chala
aimed to cement intercultural connections between the bond of friends from Tanzania and America. Participants not only
meditated, but they had unique opportunities to swim, wander around, view
landscapes and appreciate the nature of being in an untouchable nature of
Somali center for endemism, at the face of the lying geological caldera.
This event has brought together over 300 student members from 10 diferent primary and secondary schools to perform, present and learn from well experienced field environmental experts in the field of environments, animals and human communities. 
