The Jane Goodall Institute

Recycle Your Electronics & Save the Great Apes

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Day 235 – Eco-Cell collects and recycles electronics and those efforts help save the gorillas and chimpanzees in the Congo.

How you ask? I’ll let Eco-Cell explain.

Electronics are connected to apes via an ore called Coltan (columbite-tantalite\tantalum). Tantalum coats the capacitors inside gadgets which makes them energy efficient. This ore is found in great quantity in the Congo, home to the critically endangered gorilla and chimpanzee. These species are being killed by rebel bands mining Coltan. The U.N. has reported that in the past five years the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has declined 90%. Recycling your cell phones with ECO-CELL helps save these animals by reducing the demand for Coltan and by providing funds for our partners like the Cincinnati Zoo, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Intl. and the Jane Goodall Institute who are actively engaged in protecting these species.

Eco-Cell collects the following:

  1. cell phones
  2. smartphones
  3. iPods
  4. iPads
  5. tablets
  6. Apple/Android watches
  7. bluetooth
  8. GPS
  9. MP3 players
  10. e-readers
  11. digital cameras
  12. handheld gaming systems & accessories

Eco-Cell would be a great partner for your organization or school’s next fundraiser. The process is very straightforward: collect as many electronic gadgets as possible and send them to ECO-CELL (Don’t worry they pay shipping). When the phones arrive at ECO-CELL, they determine their reuse\resale value. If they can be reused they resell them and pass as much money back to you as possible. If your gadgets are obsolete they recycle them properly and pay you their recycle value. After they process your shipment they follow it up with an itemized statement of your order and a check within 30-45 days.

You can also drop-off your electronics on your next trip to the zoo. Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo participate in the program. Check to see if your local zoo is part of the program.

Recycling e-waste, saving the great apes and raising funds for your organization, it’s the trifecta. You just can’t lose.

Tomorrow, bus stops to the rescue to help save the pollinators.

Jane Goodall: Still fighting the good fight

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An evening with Dr. Goodall at the Field Museum (4/3/2018)

Day 93 – She might not wear a cape, but Jane Goodall has been my hero since childhood. The thought of living in the jungle and studying chimpanzees, sounded amazing to me. Observing them everyday and witnessing behavior that no human had seen before, seemed like a very cool way to spend your time. In my eyes, Jane Goodall was living a pretty sweet life. 

What you might not know about Dr. Goodall, is that she not only fights for the chimpanzees that she cohabited with, but she also fights for their habitat and the countless others that are threatened on a daily basis. She advocates for the planet on a global stage and is tireless in her efforts to bring awareness to the ever growing problems that endanger our home.  The Jane Goodall Institute is a conservation organization that helps protect the chimpanzees and inspires people to conserve the natural world we all share. Their mission is to help people understand that everything is connected and everyone can make a difference.

“Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.” – Dr. Jane Goodall

She empowers young people to affect positive change in their communities through her Roots & Shoots organization. Through her Good for All Challenge, Dr. Goodall gives young people actionable ideas on how they can make a difference at home, in school and their communities.

“You aren’t going to save the world on your own. But you might inspire a generation of kids to save it for all of us. You would be amazed at what inspired children can do.” – Dr. Jane Goodall

She has been a conservationist for 60 years and there seems to be no stopping Dr. Goodall from continuing to fight for the animals she loves and protecting not just their homes, but our’s too.

So, today, Dr. Goodall’s 87th birthday, make a commitment to be part of the solution and make changes that will prevent you from being part of the problem.

Check out Twitter and see that time I got to sing Happy Birthday to Dr. Jane Goodall. An absolutely amazing experience!

Tomorrow, our first birthday without balloons.