June 7, 2013- the first American school group has completed the Million Tree Project’s 1,000 Tree Challenge! The entire Brookwood Elementary School in Manchester, Massachusetts got involved in various ways to learn about trees, and spent the year raising funds to plant their forest with us next April. The initiative was started by an outgoing parent and a passionate teacher; together they contacted Roots & Shoots, got themselves involved, and spread awareness around the school and to all families. During structured class-time, students studied topics such as desertification in geology, deforestation, practiced their Mandarin language skills by writing pen pal letters to students in Kulun Qi, and planted poplar trees at their school as a group in symbolism of our partnership.
Mandarin teacher, Elizabeth Hammett, has done extraordinary work to inform and motivate other teachers and the student body. In the summer of 2012 she received a grant from Brookwood’s Parent Association to travel and study China more in-depth, to be able to relay information about its environmental concerns and to bring the project to life through her pictures and videos. While in Inner Mongolia, she used the opportunity to meet with the MTP’s planting trip, and helped companies such as Standard Chartered Bank, Ferrari, Maserati, Fluor, and the Basher’s Cricket club to plant the final trees of our first million-tree forest. Gaining first-hand experience, lots of pictures, and great stories, she travelled back to the USA to tell the kids, who were bursting with questions, about the culture and the hardships in Inner Mongolia.
Brookwood Elementary’s involvement with the Million Tree Project exemplifies a well-rounded Roots & Shoots school. The school has incorporated the scientific and cultural foundations of the project for use as teachables in their school curriculum. They are using the environment, which students care for and feel passionate about, to make their classroom concepts relatable and applicable. They have participated in hands-on activities, such as tree-planting- which bring them closer to the project, and next April will be able to send their best teacher/parent representatives to experience the hard work in sustaining these precious resources.
The school will continue its partnership with the Million Tree Project next year, continuing desertification and vegetation units with Dr. Oettinger and pen pal letters with Ms. Hammett. Their entire school’s deep passion for the environment has touched us all at Shanghai Roots & Shoots, and we would like to express a deep thank-you to Lisa Lillelund, Elizabeth Hammett, Dr. Oettinger, and all of the other parents and staff at Brookwood Elementary who took the mission to heart, and coordinated an entire school to raise 1,000 trees from half a world away.
Use Million Tree Project concepts in your school too! Visit http://www.mtpchina.org/index.php/english/carbon-calculator/mtp-learning-guide/ for background information on the project and activity suggestions.
第一个来自美国的学校近期刚刚完成了千棵树挑战！
位于马萨诸塞州曼彻斯特市的布鲁克伍德小学，通过各种方式了解树木和植树，并在过去的一年里举办了多种多样的募捐活动，用于在明年四月种植一片森林。这 个计划由一位热心的老师和一名活跃的家长发起，他们联系了上海根与芽，自己先加入了项目，并向全校师生和家长传播环保意识。在平时固定的上课时间，学生学 习了土地沙漠化和森林滥伐的现象，通过给库伦旗的学生们写信练习中文，并且在他们的学校里种植了杨树，象征着彼此的合作。
Elizabeth Hammett女士是小学的中文老师，她在教育和启发学校师生上做出了杰出的贡献。在2012年夏季，她从布鲁克伍德小学的家长会得到了一笔资金，用于前 往中国，以便更深层次的学习和研究这个国家，并通过图片和视频向大家展示说明中国的环境情况。当时在内蒙古，她有幸参与了植树之行，并和渣打银行、法拉 利、玛莎拉蒂、福陆和上海Basher板球队一起种下了第一个一百万棵树。在这次经历之后，Elizabeth女士带着许多图片和美好的回忆回到了美国， 并向满是问题的学生们讲述内蒙古的文化以及当地的艰苦条件。
布鲁克伍德小学在百万植树计划中的参与展示了一个全面的根与芽学校。这个学校在他们的学校课程里融入了与项目相关的科学和文化内容，运用学生们热衷并关 切的环境，使课堂内容更加贴合实际并具有实践性。学生们也亲手动手，比如说种植树木，使自己更加能切身体会，明年四月他们将派出杰出学生和老师代表去体验 为了保护珍稀资源而需要付出的艰辛努力。
明年，这个学校将继续他们与百万植树计划的合作，Oettinger博士将继续在学校里为同学们教授有关土地沙漠化和植被的重要性方面的课程内容。 Elizabeth Hammett女士和学生们将继续给库伦旗的学生们写信。全校的不懈努力和热情令我们上海根与芽的所有人都十分赞叹和感动.我们诚挚感谢 Lisa Lillelund女士，Elizabeth Hammett女士，和Oettinger博士，以及所有其他在布鲁克伍德小学的家长和教职员工，感谢你们真心认同项目的理念，并在大洋彼岸充分动员全校 筹得了1000棵树！
在你们的学校也开展百万植树计划吧！更多信息和建议详见我们的网站：
http://www.mtpchina.org/index.php/english/carbon-calculator/mtp-learning-guide/