Saving the Gorillas
Friday 12 June 2009
Three Year 7 students, Phoebe, Kate and Claire (pictured), are urging the St Catherine's School community to donate their old mobile phones, in support of Melbourne Zoo's They're Calling On You mobile phone recycling program.
At our recent World Environment Day Assembly, the girls explained that a mobile phone call is made possible by a tiny piece of metallic ore called coltan, found predominately in The Democratic Republic of Congo. The mining of coltan is contributing to forest loss in the area and, as a result, is accelerating the loss of Mountain Gorillas.
The three girls have organised a box at Student Services where students can donate their mobile phones. By supporting this project, students will be lessening the demand for coltan mining and helping the Melbourne Zoo raise money for the Jane Goodall Institute's primate conservation work in Africa.