Student volunteers scoop award for school project

A group of student volunteers from UCL have won an award for their contribution to an environmental education project at an inner-city school. Roots & Shoots runs an education programme guided by the founding principles of Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, environmentalist and humanitarian. The charity encourages children to implement practical and positive change for people, animals and the environment by providing teachers with free resources and activities. Two years ago final year UCL Zoology student Jessica French approached Roots & Shoots to set up a collaboration involving one-off workshops in schools around London. Earlier this year the team ran their first interactive workshop at St Michael's ? and since then they have worked with primary pupils between the age of five and 11, covering topics ranging from the wonder of water to carbon footprints and recycling to the exotic pet trade. With funding from the UCL Union Volunteering Services Unit (VSU), the team helped the school's pupils establish their own vegetable garden, and also collaborated with the UCL Grant Museum of Zoology to bring examples of the museum's natural history collection into the classroom. Now the team's hard work has been rewarded with the charity's Spring Term Gold Award for the most outstanding contribution to Roots & Shoots of all the schools in England.