Kids opening their printed books created with Canva through Upschool

This is from the Upschool "Write a book to change the world" course.  Here kids receive their books from the printer.  So heart-warming!!

Jane Goodall memorial at Taronga Zoo

Gavin and Upschool have partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute so I was invited to her memorial service at Tarronga Zoo. It was very moving and inspirational and the setting was sublime as you can see from the photos.

Jane Goodall is one of my role models. She has done so much to bring attention to the natural world and the need to protect it, especially amongst children. 

Here are some fascinating facts about her ...

• She discovered that chimpanzees use tools.  In 1960, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee named David Greybeard using a twig to fish termites out of a mound. This shattered the belief that tool-use was uniquely human and forced scientists to redefine what it means to be human.
• She had no formal scientific training when she began her research.  Goodall went to Gombe Stream at 26 without a university degree. Her fresh, unorthodox approach—naming chimps instead of numbering them, observing quietly rather than imposing strict protocols—helped her make groundbreaking discoveries.
• She transformed the study of animal behaviour. Goodall was the first to document chimpanzee warfare, adoption of orphaned infants, and complex emotional lives. Her findings helped shift science away from rigid behaviourism toward a richer understanding of animal minds.
• She was one of the most travelled activists in the world.  Jane Goodall spent more than 300 days a year on the road (even into her 80s), advocating for conservation, animal welfare, and climate action. She said she’s rarely home long enough to unpack a suitcase.
• Her childhood dreams predicted her destiny.  As a girl, she carried a beloved stuffed toy chimpanzee named Jubilee and dreamed of living with wild animals in Africa. She later laughed that everyone thought she’d “go mad” doing so—until she actually did it.

Gavin's amazing course: Write a book to change the world

Gavin has created so many amazing courses on Upschool but the one that has captured my imagination the most is his "Write a book" course where he teaches kids to create a book using Canva. He organised with Canva, the great online design site that Jo loves so much, to give away free Canva subscriptions to every Upschool student. So many sublime, creative books have been created by children throughout the world, available to be viewed and ordered via the Upschool Library . The course has been so successful that Canva even made a very generous offer to buy Upschool! 

 

Exploring Chitwan National Park from Tiger Tops

We spent an idyllic 3 days at Tiger Tops, a $600 per night lodge (for free) where we created lessons for Upschool on elephants and rhinos. Activities included walks in the jungle, accompanied by an elephant and a mahout, and two jeep safaris.  Getting close to elephants and even getting to stroke their trunks was an absolutely sublime experience. The other highlight was the rhino.  We had a rhino come right up to us (rather threateningly!) during our jungle walk and we also got to photograph a rhino mum and its youngster. We were treated like kings during our stay and the food was out of this world.

Up-close and personal with elephants

Walking in the jungle

Jeep safari

Spotted deer

Tracks

Birds we saw

Peafowl

White-throated Kingfisher

Oriental Magpie Robin

A rhino and its baby

A rhino comes up very close on a walking safari

Elephants by the river

Sunset drinks by the river

Food fit for a king

Visiting a local festival