Walking through the woods one day
I passed a bird along my way.
“Stop!” it squawked and then flew near

to whisper something in my ear.

The words it uttered I could not believe.
“Silly bird” I shouted, as it soared through the trees.
“There can’t be 6 degrees from me,
                                             to a chimpanzee!”

Down the path I continued on,
‘til I came to a Doe with its fawn.
“Did you hear the news” I laughed with glee
“A bird thinks that a chimp is connected to me”

The doe chuckled back at me and sighed,
“ You are connected, that bird didn’t lie.
Everything is connected, you, me and the trees.
Your actions impact all living things, even chimpanzees.”

As I shuffled off, I hummed and I hawed
I looked around, and then I saw:
An old faded sign, by a stand of tall trees
It read, “Planted by Mrs. Mac’s Grade 3’s”

“Wait a second,” I thought, “that was me.”
“I was in Mrs. Mac’s class, I helped plant these trees”
I could remember them when they were so small
and realized that the bird was right after all.

“6 degrees, I’ll give it a go,
I’ll start with one and then see how they flow”
The First degree- I’m on my way there
“The trees I planted clean carbon from the air!”

The second degree is not so easy to see
“Clean air keeps the temperature right for me, and the bees”
three bees buzzed by on their nectar search
“what comes next” they asked circling a birch.

I leaned on the tree, scratching my head.
“what would humans do if all the bees were dead?”
“That’s two more degrees” the bees buzzed loud and clear
“Keeping us in health, brings food to you all year.”

The third degree had been revealed
“Healthy bees pollinate a farmer’s field”
The Fourth degree—“the farmers have sent,
Food to everyone, on all the continents”

I had to think – there's just two more degrees,
untill I’m in Gombe with the chimpanzees.
The 5th degree – “with Africa nourished,
fewer forests are cleared, instead they will flourish.”

The 6th degree “surrounded by trees;
that’s the home of Gombe’s chimpanzees!”
The bird squawked,“I knew I was right”
And it continued on its flight.

The fawn walked past “We told you so,”

then ran to catch up to its doe.

The bees buzzed around, “And now you see,

you really are connected to a Chimpanzee.”

It turns out the bird wasn’t silly at all,

I’m connected to everything, chimps and Jane Goodall.

I continued on my way, thinking of things I had done,

of everything I would do and how it had begun...

50 years ago in the Gombe woods

A young woman knelt down as a chimpanzee stood.

“That’s right”, the chimp said, “you’re connected to me,

And everything around the world by less than 6 degrees”

Jane smiled at Greybeard, a very dear friend,

what he said was true, and people had much to mend.

“We are connected , and humans can help save you.

By doing good things for people, the environment,

and chimpanzees too.”