Project Proposal: Gorilla Conservation
I. Project Information
1. Project Title: Out of the Western Lowlands and Into Vermont
2. Project Summary: Out of the Western Lowlands and Into Vermont aims to educate Chittenden Country communities about primate conservation. These educational opportunities will result in motivation to participate in project activities and fundraisers. The ideal outcome will be emotional investment and awareness about the plight of the Great Apes.
3. Project Time-frame: December 2014 - April 2015
4. Prepared by: Grace Seeley
5. Project Contacts:
a. Peter Goff ([email protected])
b. Sarah Soule ([email protected])
c. Jill Strawbridge ([email protected])
d. Mary Hamilton ([email protected])
II. Project Summary
1. Ever since I was little, I have always loved apes. My mom and I would watch movies that featured them on a regular basis, and I always connected with their emotional capacity, intelligence, and communication skills. The bulk of this project will take place within the Vermont Commons School community, where students learn how to be global citizens. Some portions of the project will require volunteers, which is an abundant resource at VCS. Concluding by mid-March, the project will have succeeded in raising funds, creating curriculums, and informing students. The costs associated with this effort should be minimal.
2. Project Background
a. Gorillas are a critically endangered species due to human influence. For example, mountain gorillas were first killed on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History in 1921.[1] The original hunter founded a National Park in their homeland, in Rwanda, for them in 1925. They were safe until Rwanda experienced a civil war in 1960, during which they were hunted for meat and were caught in snares intended for other animals. Rwanda is known for its dense population, and every square inch of land that wasn’t protected was devoted to agriculture. Because of this, the gorillas’ habitat became even more rare. By the late 1970s, Rwanda saw the creation of the Mountain Gorilla Project that focused on education and tourism. Tourists flocked from far and wide to see the mountain gorillas, making this form of tourism the country’s third largest collector of foreign funds.1 When civil war arose again in 1991, gorilla tourism screeched to a grinding halt. Refugee camps arose in the aftermath, and forests have been chopped down to provide fuel for fires. The recurring theme here is human interference. Any endangered species deserves to be saved, yet perhaps none more than those whose endangerment we are responsible for.
3. Project Objectives
a. Raise awareness in the community about gorilla conservation
b. Conduct fundraising campaigns on several scales in order to contribute on behalf of the community
c. Create week-long curriculums for elementary, middle, and high school students about primates and conservation
III. Project Methodology
1. Work Breakdown and Task Time Estimates
a. Informational poster campaign
i. Make posters by 11/25 (3 hours)
ii. Hang posters at VCS on 12/1 (20 minutes)
b. Footprint poster campaign
i. Get volunteers during a lunch period to trace their feet by bribing them with cookies (30 minutes)
ii. Make gorilla footprints (10 minutes)
iii. Compile information about students (20 mintues)
iv. Compile individual gorillas (1 hour)
c. Gorilla dating profiles
d. 10 minute morning meeting presentation
i. Create presentation (30 minutes)
ii. Present (7 minutes)
e. Common Hour
i. Enter discussions with Sarah Soule about scheduling (5 days)
ii. Create trivia competition (3 hours)
iii. Contact Sarah Soule by 11/20
f. Documentary screening
i. Enter discussions with Jill Strawbridge about scheduling
ii. Contact Jill Strawbridge by 11/20
iii. Find faculty chaperones and contact by 1/14
iv. Make concessions the day before (8 hours)
v. Periodic announcements at morning meeting (30 seconds)
vi. Advertising posters (10 minutes)
vii. Hang posters (10 minutes)
g. Blockbuster screening
i. Enter discussions with Jill Strawbridge about scheduling (5 days)
ii. Contact Jill Strawbridge by 11/20
iii. Find faculty chaperones and contact by 1/14
iv. Make concessions the day before (8 hours)
v. Make periodic announcements at morning meeting (30 seconds)
vi. Make posters to advertise the screening (10 minutes)
vii. Hang posters (10 minutes)
h. Fundraising website
i. Launch site by 11/25
ii. Make announcement
i. Green/Grey coin drive
i. Get materials by 11/22 (1 hour)
ii. Make announcement and begin drive by 12/1
iii. Conclude drive by 12/18
iv. Calculate winner 12/18-9 (2 hours)
v. Announce winner 12/19
j. Elementary school unit
i. Create curriculum (2 hours)
ii. Contact Jensa Bushey about scheduling by 12/14
iii. Go into the classroom (3 hours)
k. Sample lab reports
i. Decide on a list of species (1/15)
ii. Species 1:1/22 (3 hours per species)
iii. Species 2: 2/4
iv. Species 3: 2/16
v. Species 4: 3/5
vi. Species 5: 3/12
l. Human evolution/primatology/conservation 10th grade unit
i. Schedule with Peter Goff by 2/2
ii. Human evolution lecture (1)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
iii. Primatology (2)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
iv. Conservation (1)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
m. Newsletter
i. Release newsletters 12/17, 1/10, 2/14, 3/10
ii. Coordinate with Peter Goff about homework assignments by 12/13
iii. Write newsletters (3 hours each)
n. Monthly morning meeting presentations
i. Make presentation (30 minutes)
ii. Present at morning meeting (7 minutes)
2. Project Deliverables
a. Strategic poster campaign that fosters pathos
i. Informational posters that feature statistics and facts
ii. An art campaign featuring life-size footprints of a lowland gorilla next to the footprints of a member of the VCS student body. Beside each set of footprints will be a picture of the footprints’ owners and a sign bearing information about them, such as name, age, and hometown.
iii. Attention grabbing posters that juxtapose primates with modern technology; individual apes will be featured on a dating website-style profile (in poster format) that will describe them and their preferences, in order to create a wider understanding of primate lifestyle. The addition of this humorous take on a morose subject will ideally help motivate viewers to take action.
b. VCS community engagement activities
i. A 10 minute morning meeting presentation presenting the project to the community
1. Show footage of Koko and introduce her to VCS
2. Show footage of poaching and habitat destruction in order to create pathos
3. Talk about the efforts that will be undertaken on the VCS campus throughout the extent of the 20% time project
4. There will be a follow-up presentation once a month in order to keep the project an active portion of the dialogue at VCS
ii. 1 Common Hour devoted to activities that will raise awareness and increase interest and emotional investment in primates
1. Primate trivia competition between senior leadership groups
iii. Film screenings
1. 1 documentary screening featuring a film related to primate conservation.
a. Concessions will be sold by volunteers with proceeds being donated to gorilla conservation efforts
b. Tickets will be cheap in order to not limit attendance due to financial restraints, while also increasing money donated to wildlife funds
2. Possibly host a movie night featuring modern movies like Planet of the Apes or King Kong
a. Concessions and entry fees would be donated to conservation funds
b. A recent film would increase the likelihood of getting students in the door, which could potentially yield more profit than a documentary screening
iv. A fundraising website that would be advertised in the greater Chittenden Country community. Awareness would be raised by a poster campaign in local establishments.
v. Green/Grey Competition
1. Coin Drive
a. Proceeds will go to adopting a primate (or primates) on behalf of the VCS community
vi. A unit on primates and conservation for an elementary school class
1. Proceeds from VCS fundraisers will adopt a gorilla on behalf of the class
vii. A sample set of lab reports describing different great apes for VCS Science 7/8/9
viii. A weeklong unit on human evolution, primatology, and conservation for VCS Science 10
ix. A monthly newsletter providing information, scholarly articles, and updates on the project
1. VCS 9/10 will read the newsletter each month as a homework assignment and write a 100 word reflection on it
2. Other copies will be available at the Registrar’s desk for interested parties
3. Project updates and announcements will also be featured in Turtle Tracks
IV. Project Risk Management
1. Risk Management Plan
a. Unable to get into elementary school classroom
i. Minimal likelihood- contacts within the faculty at SCS make access easy and realistic, especially because of relation to current elementary school student
ii. If it does not work out to teach a unit at SCS, other options include School House or the Sustainability Academy
iii. If those connections fell through as well, then this portion of the project would be removed, and more focus would be paid to curriculum for VCS students
b. Unable to make room in the documentary series line up
i. Realistic possibility- an alternative time would be found to host the documentary and it would not be associated with the VCS film series
c. The screening is scheduled but there is unexpected snowfall the day of and viewers are unsure as to what the cancellation policy is
i. Likely- schedule the documentary for late March/early April when snowfall is not as likely
ii. Schedule two showings a week apart so that one can be cancelled due to snow if need be
d. Unable to find a Common Hour to host activities
i. Possible- instead present twice a month
ii. Or cancel this portion of the project. There are many other ways the community can be involved that no one aspect is absolutely vital
e. Attempting to do too much
i. This list assumes that either a couple of the options presented will fall through
ii. There are some similar activities on the list, such as two film screenings, and one of the more redundant activities can be removed from the action plan
V. Conclusion
1. A project such as this would be vital in many ways. So many of this world’s issues can be improved if only more people knew who or what they need to help, and how they can do it. This campaign has far reaching implications for the apes themselves, as well as the Vermont Commons School community. Providing a model for VCS students on the ways you can affect change on another continent will hopefully inspire younger students to tap into the global citizenship skills they have learned and to take action in support of a cause that they believe in. In terms of the gorillas, the fruits of our efforts would be immeasurable.
[1] "Mountain Gorilla: An Endangered Species." Bagheera. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
I. Project Information
1. Project Title: Out of the Western Lowlands and Into Vermont
2. Project Summary: Out of the Western Lowlands and Into Vermont aims to educate Chittenden Country communities about primate conservation. These educational opportunities will result in motivation to participate in project activities and fundraisers. The ideal outcome will be emotional investment and awareness about the plight of the Great Apes.
3. Project Time-frame: December 2014 - April 2015
4. Prepared by: Grace Seeley
5. Project Contacts:
a. Peter Goff ([email protected])
b. Sarah Soule ([email protected])
c. Jill Strawbridge ([email protected])
d. Mary Hamilton ([email protected])
II. Project Summary
1. Ever since I was little, I have always loved apes. My mom and I would watch movies that featured them on a regular basis, and I always connected with their emotional capacity, intelligence, and communication skills. The bulk of this project will take place within the Vermont Commons School community, where students learn how to be global citizens. Some portions of the project will require volunteers, which is an abundant resource at VCS. Concluding by mid-March, the project will have succeeded in raising funds, creating curriculums, and informing students. The costs associated with this effort should be minimal.
2. Project Background
a. Gorillas are a critically endangered species due to human influence. For example, mountain gorillas were first killed on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History in 1921.[1] The original hunter founded a National Park in their homeland, in Rwanda, for them in 1925. They were safe until Rwanda experienced a civil war in 1960, during which they were hunted for meat and were caught in snares intended for other animals. Rwanda is known for its dense population, and every square inch of land that wasn’t protected was devoted to agriculture. Because of this, the gorillas’ habitat became even more rare. By the late 1970s, Rwanda saw the creation of the Mountain Gorilla Project that focused on education and tourism. Tourists flocked from far and wide to see the mountain gorillas, making this form of tourism the country’s third largest collector of foreign funds.1 When civil war arose again in 1991, gorilla tourism screeched to a grinding halt. Refugee camps arose in the aftermath, and forests have been chopped down to provide fuel for fires. The recurring theme here is human interference. Any endangered species deserves to be saved, yet perhaps none more than those whose endangerment we are responsible for.
3. Project Objectives
a. Raise awareness in the community about gorilla conservation
b. Conduct fundraising campaigns on several scales in order to contribute on behalf of the community
c. Create week-long curriculums for elementary, middle, and high school students about primates and conservation
III. Project Methodology
1. Work Breakdown and Task Time Estimates
a. Informational poster campaign
i. Make posters by 11/25 (3 hours)
ii. Hang posters at VCS on 12/1 (20 minutes)
b. Footprint poster campaign
i. Get volunteers during a lunch period to trace their feet by bribing them with cookies (30 minutes)
ii. Make gorilla footprints (10 minutes)
iii. Compile information about students (20 mintues)
iv. Compile individual gorillas (1 hour)
c. Gorilla dating profiles
d. 10 minute morning meeting presentation
i. Create presentation (30 minutes)
ii. Present (7 minutes)
e. Common Hour
i. Enter discussions with Sarah Soule about scheduling (5 days)
ii. Create trivia competition (3 hours)
iii. Contact Sarah Soule by 11/20
f. Documentary screening
i. Enter discussions with Jill Strawbridge about scheduling
ii. Contact Jill Strawbridge by 11/20
iii. Find faculty chaperones and contact by 1/14
iv. Make concessions the day before (8 hours)
v. Periodic announcements at morning meeting (30 seconds)
vi. Advertising posters (10 minutes)
vii. Hang posters (10 minutes)
g. Blockbuster screening
i. Enter discussions with Jill Strawbridge about scheduling (5 days)
ii. Contact Jill Strawbridge by 11/20
iii. Find faculty chaperones and contact by 1/14
iv. Make concessions the day before (8 hours)
v. Make periodic announcements at morning meeting (30 seconds)
vi. Make posters to advertise the screening (10 minutes)
vii. Hang posters (10 minutes)
h. Fundraising website
i. Launch site by 11/25
ii. Make announcement
i. Green/Grey coin drive
i. Get materials by 11/22 (1 hour)
ii. Make announcement and begin drive by 12/1
iii. Conclude drive by 12/18
iv. Calculate winner 12/18-9 (2 hours)
v. Announce winner 12/19
j. Elementary school unit
i. Create curriculum (2 hours)
ii. Contact Jensa Bushey about scheduling by 12/14
iii. Go into the classroom (3 hours)
k. Sample lab reports
i. Decide on a list of species (1/15)
ii. Species 1:1/22 (3 hours per species)
iii. Species 2: 2/4
iv. Species 3: 2/16
v. Species 4: 3/5
vi. Species 5: 3/12
l. Human evolution/primatology/conservation 10th grade unit
i. Schedule with Peter Goff by 2/2
ii. Human evolution lecture (1)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
iii. Primatology (2)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
iv. Conservation (1)
1. Create presentation (2 hours)
2. Create homework assignment (30 minutes)
m. Newsletter
i. Release newsletters 12/17, 1/10, 2/14, 3/10
ii. Coordinate with Peter Goff about homework assignments by 12/13
iii. Write newsletters (3 hours each)
n. Monthly morning meeting presentations
i. Make presentation (30 minutes)
ii. Present at morning meeting (7 minutes)
2. Project Deliverables
a. Strategic poster campaign that fosters pathos
i. Informational posters that feature statistics and facts
ii. An art campaign featuring life-size footprints of a lowland gorilla next to the footprints of a member of the VCS student body. Beside each set of footprints will be a picture of the footprints’ owners and a sign bearing information about them, such as name, age, and hometown.
iii. Attention grabbing posters that juxtapose primates with modern technology; individual apes will be featured on a dating website-style profile (in poster format) that will describe them and their preferences, in order to create a wider understanding of primate lifestyle. The addition of this humorous take on a morose subject will ideally help motivate viewers to take action.
b. VCS community engagement activities
i. A 10 minute morning meeting presentation presenting the project to the community
1. Show footage of Koko and introduce her to VCS
2. Show footage of poaching and habitat destruction in order to create pathos
3. Talk about the efforts that will be undertaken on the VCS campus throughout the extent of the 20% time project
4. There will be a follow-up presentation once a month in order to keep the project an active portion of the dialogue at VCS
ii. 1 Common Hour devoted to activities that will raise awareness and increase interest and emotional investment in primates
1. Primate trivia competition between senior leadership groups
iii. Film screenings
1. 1 documentary screening featuring a film related to primate conservation.
a. Concessions will be sold by volunteers with proceeds being donated to gorilla conservation efforts
b. Tickets will be cheap in order to not limit attendance due to financial restraints, while also increasing money donated to wildlife funds
2. Possibly host a movie night featuring modern movies like Planet of the Apes or King Kong
a. Concessions and entry fees would be donated to conservation funds
b. A recent film would increase the likelihood of getting students in the door, which could potentially yield more profit than a documentary screening
iv. A fundraising website that would be advertised in the greater Chittenden Country community. Awareness would be raised by a poster campaign in local establishments.
v. Green/Grey Competition
1. Coin Drive
a. Proceeds will go to adopting a primate (or primates) on behalf of the VCS community
vi. A unit on primates and conservation for an elementary school class
1. Proceeds from VCS fundraisers will adopt a gorilla on behalf of the class
vii. A sample set of lab reports describing different great apes for VCS Science 7/8/9
viii. A weeklong unit on human evolution, primatology, and conservation for VCS Science 10
ix. A monthly newsletter providing information, scholarly articles, and updates on the project
1. VCS 9/10 will read the newsletter each month as a homework assignment and write a 100 word reflection on it
2. Other copies will be available at the Registrar’s desk for interested parties
3. Project updates and announcements will also be featured in Turtle Tracks
IV. Project Risk Management
1. Risk Management Plan
a. Unable to get into elementary school classroom
i. Minimal likelihood- contacts within the faculty at SCS make access easy and realistic, especially because of relation to current elementary school student
ii. If it does not work out to teach a unit at SCS, other options include School House or the Sustainability Academy
iii. If those connections fell through as well, then this portion of the project would be removed, and more focus would be paid to curriculum for VCS students
b. Unable to make room in the documentary series line up
i. Realistic possibility- an alternative time would be found to host the documentary and it would not be associated with the VCS film series
c. The screening is scheduled but there is unexpected snowfall the day of and viewers are unsure as to what the cancellation policy is
i. Likely- schedule the documentary for late March/early April when snowfall is not as likely
ii. Schedule two showings a week apart so that one can be cancelled due to snow if need be
d. Unable to find a Common Hour to host activities
i. Possible- instead present twice a month
ii. Or cancel this portion of the project. There are many other ways the community can be involved that no one aspect is absolutely vital
e. Attempting to do too much
i. This list assumes that either a couple of the options presented will fall through
ii. There are some similar activities on the list, such as two film screenings, and one of the more redundant activities can be removed from the action plan
V. Conclusion
1. A project such as this would be vital in many ways. So many of this world’s issues can be improved if only more people knew who or what they need to help, and how they can do it. This campaign has far reaching implications for the apes themselves, as well as the Vermont Commons School community. Providing a model for VCS students on the ways you can affect change on another continent will hopefully inspire younger students to tap into the global citizenship skills they have learned and to take action in support of a cause that they believe in. In terms of the gorillas, the fruits of our efforts would be immeasurable.
[1] "Mountain Gorilla: An Endangered Species." Bagheera. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.