Brookfield Zoo

After a very early start today, we headed to Brookfield Zoo for a day of workshops and activities focusing on MDG 7 - Ensuring Environmental Sustainability.  We started off in the dolphin enclosure, listening to a presentation about the dolphins who live here, the oldest of whom, Tapiko, is 30-years-old.  We learned of the dangers of befriending wild dolphins, though thankfully there are not too many of these in London. 

In the next session we learnt about the plight of the orangutan (which translates as 'old man walking in the woods'), which lives in the wild in just two places in the whole world.  We heard the mating call of the male orangutan and learnt that they share 97percent of our DNA. 

Orangutans are threatened by deforestation, where areas of their habitat are being destroyed.  There is also illegal poaching, orangutans are stolen to be pets, or even to kick-box to entertain tourists in Thailand.  We learned about the FSC mark which is given to items which have been made without ruining these habitats.  All sorts of products, from paper to furniture to musical instruments are made with the FSC mark; this is worldwide, so please look out for it. 

We were also taught about palm oil and the impact that the production of this is having on the environment.  There is a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) which certifies that products have been made sustainably, without destroying areas of forest.  Please check for these marks on products you buy which contain palm oil, because this is having a serious impact on the environment. 

This is not an orangutan

Nor is this

The next session was about climate change, and we had a workshop about the impact that humanity has had on the climate and thought about practical ways in which we can do positive things to reduce our emissions.  Even changing the way we drive, such as not leaving the car engine running for any length of time, car-sharing, switching electrical appliances off completely when they are not being  used (i.e. not leaving them on standby - they called this 'vampire energy') can have a positive impact.  We were encouraged to tell our families, friends and members of Guiding about how doing these things can have an impact.  We have a shared responsibility.

It's quite hard to articulate how it feels to be here with so many WAGGGS members from around the world, representing 89 countries.  I'm not quite sure who is reading this, but if you are not directly involved in Guiding, (perhaps you are someone I have been telling about this event for months, in which case thank you for reading...), let me tell you how it is structured in the UK: each girl is a member of a unit, which is part of a District, which is part of a Division, (not all areas have Districts, it depends on their size) which is part of a County, which is part of a Region, and these Regions make up the UK.  The UK is Member Organisation (MO) of WAGGGS, and there are 5 World Regions within WAGGGS - Asia-Pacific, Europe, Arab, Africa, Western Hemisphere - and all of these World Regions are represented here.  Everyone has similar ideals towards bringing about change, and there have been a lot of great discussions about how we can do this together.

We have been encouraged to develop Take Action projects in our communities which relate to the 3 MDGs we are focussing on - eradicating poverty, empowering women and environmental sustainability.  The girls will be thinking about how to bring these about.  Watch this space. 

Happy Chaperones at the Zoo