Saturday, September 12, 2009

Our trip to Washington DC with Jane Goodall













We went to Washington DC to see Dr Jane Goodall speak at the Library of Congress, to discuss her new book, Hope for Animals and Their World--Chris contributed to the Red Wolf chapter of the book as a long-time biologist with the project. Jane called him up to the stage during her lecture to mention a few things about the wolves and to howl for the audience. I didn't get a pic of that because he had the camera in his pocket! After the lecture we went to the Museum of the American Indian for lunch, then back to the LOC to meet with Jane. We met on the steps of the LOC with the Capitol building as a backdrop, it was beautiful. Ami got to give Jane her chimp fund money, which she raised by selling bookmarks to family and friends. The money will go to help the orphan chimps who's mothers were killed for the bushmeat trade. She gave Jane a bookmark, and so did Noah. Noah also made her a picture of a ladybug climbing a rainbow. Then we went over Amelie's chimp lapbook which we made as a school project last year. It has a section about Jane Goodall which Jane signed for her. It also has a little collapsible box which has holes and is filled with velcro "termites"--you fish for the termites with pipe cleaners. Jane fished for termites with Ami and pretended to eat them--made us all laugh. She gave us two books--the one Chris is in, signed, and another one for the kids, and a poster, all signed, as well as a little chimp doll, which the kids share. I made a red wolf wall-hanging (appliqued) for her, which she really liked. She expressed an interest in having photos of the lapbook as an educational tool example, and said she'd have to wait for Chris to sign *her* book when she comes to visit the wolf project in the spring of 2010 (fingers crossed!).