WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

It’s never too early to get started...

WWF-AUSTRALIA

Actor and Wwf-australia partner Matt Wilson says educating kids is essential. “As a dad-of-one (soon to be two), I plan to teach my children about the wildlife around them,” says the Neighbours star. “There is a lot of information and tools out there, including the Wwfaustralia’s new My Backyard tool. As a family, we sit down and type our location to explore the threatened animals around us – in the local park or even in our own backyard! It’s great for getting the kids involved, as the tool includes a blurb on each animal and a fun fact. On long family road trips, we also love putting on fun podcasts that we can all learn from. Scat Chat With Wwf-australia is a great one as it’s both educational and everyone gets a laugh out of it.”

ROOTS & SHOOTS

Roots & Shoots is part of a global initiative that was created by Dr Jane Goodall to help young people take action for animals, people and the environment by creating their own projects. Kids can sign up individually, or get their school involved. “It offers a wealth of resources and networking for children to learn and share ideas about global problems,” explains Jan Latta, who met Dr Goodall while she was working on a book on chimps in Uganda. “The program is about making positive changes – for the community, animals, and the environment.” Go to rootsandshoots.org.au for more info.

SHELDRICK WILDLIFE FUND

This Christmas, why not give your child their very own elephant, rhino or giraffe! For $73 a year, they can support one of the orphaned animals at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. “It’s a great project for school children because they can be involved with the recovery,” says Jan. Visit sheldrickwildlifetrust.org for details.