The primary focus of the MMSAR grant project was the ‘Gambles Building,’ a two-story, 9,600 square foot structure.  Built in 1935, this building is one of the oldest block and brick structures on Main Street.  The MMSAR program was to 1) create four sizable multi-room, family apartments on the second floor of this building, accessible to the handicapped via elevator, and 2) rehabilitate the first floor into 12 rooms, which would provide quality affordable commercial space for rent to local businesses, and office space for the City of Martin’s Financial and Administrative Office and Police force.  Room would also be provided on the first floor to the non-profit local Chamber of Commerce, and to local residents for a community room.  A kitchen, a break room, and bathrooms jointly supported these spaces, and the exterior of the building was to be restored to its original condition.  The MMSAR program also planned to restore the façade of the Inland Theatre, rejuvenating and beautifying a main fixture of the Main Street Area, and restore portions of the dilapidated Main Street infrastructure, including replacing damaged sidewalks, replacing unsafe street lighting, improving utilities as needed, and adding such features as trees and benches.

Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown, SD – Educational programming

The Bramble Park Zoo is an Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo located in Watertown, South Dakota.  The zoo, founded in 1912, currently encompasses a 15-acre area and houses approximately 500 animals representing 130 species.  The annual attendance averages 50,000, roughly 30,000 of which participate in the zoo’s education programs.

1) Offering a broad spectrum of mission- and AZA-driven programs that emphasize informal learning, inquiry-based instruction, creativity, and fun;

2) Creating personal experiences that celebrate wildlife, renew everyone’s connection to the environment, and inspire conservation action;

3) Providing programs that are accessible to diverse audiences, keeping in mind that people have different needs and learn in different ways; and

4) Making sure education is a zoo-wide endeavor to fulfill the department’s mission.

The Education Department aims to provide all people, regardless of age or ability, with the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about many animals from around the world.  Programs are designed to emphasize the importance and significance of environmental conservation, as well as the importance of all animals and their roles within the planet’s ecosystems.

Roots & Shoots program at the Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown, SD and the Pine Ridge Reservation

The Roots & Shoots (R&S) program, founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991, is a global initiative, operating throughout 110 countries, that involves roughly 150,000 (primarily) youth.  It’s mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment.  The program’s four global goals are:

1) To implement positive change through active learning about, caring for and interacting with the environment;

2) To demonstrate care and concern for all animals;

3) To enhance understanding among individuals of different cultures, ethnic groups, religions, socio-economic levels and nations through their global communications network; and

4) To help young people develop self-respect, confidence in themselves and hope for the future.

While R&S projects vary widely, all offerings follow a shared methodology or model that is geared toward maximizing youth engagement. These projects help participants, both young and old, to see the connections that exist among all living systems by actively working to address the issues and needs of the local community.  R&S projects include programs such as the Eco-office Evaluation Program in Shanghai, China, that helps offices become more energy efficient; a program at the Lugufu Refugee Camp in western Tanzania, that teaches Congolese refugees how to raise endangered chickens; and a community-wide drive, led by Wallace R&S members in Listowel, Ontario, that collected personal hygiene items for a local women’s shelter.  The program is grounded in the belief that “every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, and every individual makes a difference” (R&S).

With Roots & Shoots programs operating in every US state, the program has established regional offices to better serve program participants.  The Northern Great Plains Regional Office, located at the Bramble Park Zoo (BPZ), serves the states of Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  The R&S program at BPZ offers program participants, and the public as a whole, a multitude of program offerings that adhere both to the mission of the Roots & Shoots program and the zoo itself.  Programs include geo-caching, an annual Roots & Shoots Free Day, Peace Day, Girls Rule, and Camp Chance.

Locally, the R&S program is also at work on the Pine Ridge Reservation.  Headed by Jason Schoch and Patricia Hammond, the Pine Ridge R&S program provides activities that empower the Reservation’s communities and young people to become better stewards of their world.  The program, for example, establishes community gardens and farmer’s markets, conducts beautification projects and nature walks, and provides informal educational opportunities on native plants, proper animal care, and the diversity of all living things.

The BPZ and Pine Ridge R&S programs have been partnering since 2006.