Every year, during the last week of January, The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TCPH) counts the number of homeless people in Tucson. In January of 2018, they accounted for 1,380 homeless people, 363 of whom lived on the streets. In the dead of winter, our city can get very cold, even reaching freezing temperatures. With nowhere else for the homeless to sleep other than the streets, sleeping mats can make their nights more comfortable.
Roots and Shoots is an organization started by Jane Goodall, one of the best-known primatologists and activists. There are clubs all around the world, and we are lucky enough to have a chapter here at The Gregory School. Ms. Encila, the upper school art teacher, is the advisor of Roots and Shoots. Katie McColgin ’21 is the president and Ashling Lee ’22 is the vice president.
This winter, Roots and Shoots started a plastic bag drive to make sleeping mats for the homeless. The club will be making yarn out of the plastic and then crocheting it all together to make large mats. There were donation boxes for plastic bags in the middle school and upper school offices, the student lounge, Ms. Encila’s room, and Ms. Ely’s room.
McColgin states that “The Roots and Shoots’ mission is to affect positive change in our local community regarding people, animals, and their environment.” This year, Roots and Shoots installed a butterfly garden on the upper school campus. According to McColgin, the butterfly garden is “A great place for students to relax and feel close to nature.” The club is also installing a memorial for Lacey Jarrel, a student who passed away in 2006.
Roots and Shoots encourages everyone on campus to visit the butterfly garden this semester. Even if you didn’t get a chance to donate to the plastic bag drive, they invite you to come out to the upcoming explorations where the club will be weaving them into sleeping mats!
Written by Ella Sturtevant, staff reporter