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Transcript: Annika
Green Squad
Descriptive Transcript
CHILD: Wheee!
[Child giggles, pop, playful music plays]
[Logo] T.V.O. Kids Original.
[Rock music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On a screen with a play bar at the bottom, Annika stands in front of trees. She has long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. Annika wears a blue and white jacket. She cartwheels across thick grass.
ANNIKA: Hi, I'm Annika, and I'm ten years old, but I'm turning 11 really soon.
DESCRIPTION: In the Green Squad headquarters, Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle sit around a small table with a tablet propped up on it.
GREEN SQUAD: Hi Annika!
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Annika posing with a horse, posing on a stage wearing a tutu, and posing in front of a stage wearing a winter hat and a striped scarf. In her backyard, she pushes another child on a flat swing. In the grass, a rabbit hops behind a bush.
ANNIKA: I love horses, musicals, and playing with my friends. I also really love nature. Especially trees.
DESCRIPTION: Annika hugs a tree.
ANNIKA: When I was younger, I was fascinated when my teacher told me that trees breathe out oxygen and we breathe in the oxygen, and then we breathe out carbon dioxide, and then they breathe in the carbon dioxide, and it's like we're connected to the trees in a cycle.
DESCRIPTION: She throws colourful fall leaves over her head, and then makes a heart with her fingers by the tree trunk.
ANNIKA: And that's why I always feel so connected to the trees all the time. Because I know they work for me, and so I should give them lots of love.
DESCRIPTION: In the squad headquarters, the Green Squad makes hearts with their fingers.
GREEN SQUAD: Aww.
DESCRIPTION: Annika stands in front of the trees.
ANNIKA: I learned that trees can be endangered, just like animals. And I really want to help them, but I don't know how.
DESCRIPTION: In the squad headquarters, Shakira sits on the floor, and the others sit on couches.
ERIC: Well, there’s a lot of different ways. Let's help her, help the trees.
SHAKIRA: And let's not forget about her birthday. I'm thinking tree-themed.
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Lisa, and Kyle nod. In front of the trees, Annika smiles.
ANNIKA: Hey, Squad, can you help me out?
[Letters pop]
[Text Reads] Hey Squad, can you help me out?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad smiles.
[Text reads] Lisa.
DESCRIPTION: Lisa wears a red blouse, and her long brown hair is tightly braided. She holds a reusable shopping bag and smiles. Graphics of food, a light bulb with a plug, and a shopping bag fly out of her bag.
[Text reads] Kyle.
DESCRIPTION: Kyle holds a red backpack. His dark brown hair reaches beneath his ears. Graphics of a bicycle, a skateboard, shoes, and a truck appear.
[Text reads] Shakira.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, a girl with long black hair, turns. She wears a sleeveless black shirt and a white skirt. Graphics of a sewing machine, scissors, and safety pins appear.
[Text reads] Eric.
DESCRIPTION: Eric holds a long work bag and smiles. His short black hair is straight, and he wears a blue t-shirt and brown overalls. Graphics of a fence, gardening tools, a wheelbarrow, and a watering can appear. The Green Squad dances.
[Text reads] T.V.O. Kids presents. An Apartment 11 Production.
[Title] Green Squad.
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad poses together.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Upbeat music plays, knock on the door, door clicks, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Eric walk to Annika’s front door. Eric knocks, and Annika opens the door.
EVERYONE: Hi!
SHAKIRA: I'm Shakira.
ERIC: I'm Eric.
ANNIKA: I'm Annika.
SHAKIRA: Nice to meet you.
DESCRIPTION: Annika’s family arrives in the doorway behind her. Her young brother, Nepomuk, waves. He has short red hair and wears a red shirt with a firetruck pattern. Her sister, Matilda, has bobbed blonde hair. Her dad, Thomas, has short white hair and wears eyeglasses and a brown shirt.
ANNIKA: This is my family. This is my little brother, Nepomuk. This is my little sister, Matilda. And this is my dad, Thomas.
NEPOMUK: Hi!
THOMAS: Hi.
SHAKIRA: Nice to meet you all.
ERIC: Hi.
SHAKIRA: I love your property. There's so many beautiful trees here.
ANNIKA: Thank you.
ERIC: Why don't you introduce us to some of your tree friends?
[Pop, upbeat music plays]
[Text Reads] Yeah, sure.
ANNIKA: Yeah, sure.
ERIC: The rain won't stop us. Let's get out of here.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika wears a yellow raincoat as she leads Shakira and Eric to a large tree in her yard.
ANNIKA: This is one of my besties. This tree is super amazing.
[Tap]
DESCRIPTION: Annika points to her window.
ANNIKA: And it taps against my window, and it's like it's saying hello or good night.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A tree graphic appears with a speech bubble that reads, “Hello,” and a speech bubble that reads, “Good night.”
SHAKIRA: I love that.
ERIC: Annika, I can tell you love trees. So it's your birthday soon, I hear, and Shakira and I have a few ideas.
SHAKIRA: What about if we help you plan a birthday party that's all about trees? That way, you can share your love of trees with all your friends.
[Whoosh, triumphant music plays, hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: Annika, Shakira, and Eric high-five.
ANNIKA: That sounds awesome, thank you.
[Mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika leads Eric and Shakira to an evergreen tree with low, wide branches.
ANNIKA: Okay, I have one more tree to show you. This is my favourite climbing tree. I like it the very most because I like to see how high I can go.
SHAKIRA: That seems really fun.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] WOW!
ERIC: Okay, I've got an idea. You can make the party a fundraiser to help the trees. You can ask your friends and family to donate to something that's really important to you and make a difference. What do you think?
ANNIKA: Well, I really want to help the trees, but I don't know what kind of cause that would be to.
ERIC: I think I can help with that. I know you love climbing. So we're going to go somewhere where we're going to learn all about the local trees and the ones that need help. We're going to get up close and personal with these trees. And I mean, like, way up.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Annika, and Shakira jump off tree stumps. Annika falls, and Eric and Shakira help her to her feet.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Bird squawks]
DESCRIPTION: Later, Annika stands between Eric and Shakira, wearing a pink sleep mask.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Anika, are you ready to see your big surprise?
ERIC: Removing your blindfold in three…
SHAKIRA AND ERIC: Two, one.
DESCRIPTION: Numbers count down above Annika’s head.
ERIC: We're going treetop trekking.
[Explosions, slide whistles]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes around Annika as she lifts the sleep mask and looks around.
ANNIKA: I’m so excited.
[Cheers, applause, zip line rattles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Above, a person walks away from a vertical net, along hanging pieces of wood. Another person stands on a board that slides between two ropes. A third person ziplines.
SHAKIRA: Yes, we’re so excited.
ERIC: What a better way to get to know the trees, huh?
ANNIKA: There's no better way, honestly.
DESCRIPTION: Annika, Eric, and Shakira put on harnesses and helmets and attach themselves to safety lines.
ANNIKA: To the unknown.
DESCRIPTION: Eric stands beneath Annika as she carefully climbs a wooden plank with bars on each side up to a platform.
ERIC: Tree climber, Monkey Magoo.
ANNIKA: Yeah. That's me.
ERIC: Monkey Magoo.
ANNIKA: No, Tarzan, Tarzan, Tarzan.
DESCRIPTION: Alone, Eric speaks directly into the camera.
ERIC: I've got a secret confession. I'm afraid of heights. Wish me luck.
DESCRIPTION: Eric climbs up to the platform, and a thought bubble appears beside him.
[Whoosh]
[Thought Bubble Text Reads] Yikes!
ANNIKA: You got this, Eric.
SHAKIRA: You can do it.
DESCRIPTION: Above Eric, Annika walks across dangling chains.
ANNIKA: Come on. You can do anything. Even if you're a little kid compared to everybody else.
SHAKIRA: Hey, what’s up, guys?
DESCRIPTION: Above Annika, Shakira stands on a rope with vertical boards spread at intervals across.
ANNIKA: Good job!
SHAKIRA: Thanks. Just hanging around, you know.
ERIC: Why am I looking down? I should just look straight. But I gotta put my feet.
DESCRIPTION: Eric holds ropes and walks on a zig-zagging line of logs suspended between trees.
SHAKIRA: Eric is a little bit scared down there.
ANNIKA: He’s fine now.
SHAKIRA: But we believe in him because he's doing so well and he's so brave so.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives the camera a thumbs-up.
SHAKIRA: You got this, Eric.
ERIC: Ah.
DESCRIPTION: Eric reaches the end of the logs.
ERIC: Hey, guys, I did it.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] I did it!
DESCRIPTION: Eric excitedly jumps up and down on a platform.
SHAKIRA: Alright, you two, I'm gonna head out and do some party prep. See you later.
ERIC AND ANNIKA: Bye!
DESCRIPTION: Shakira holds a line and jumps off a platform. She lowers herself to the ground.
ERIC: Whoa, look at her go.
[Shakira cheers]
ANNIKA: That is so awesome.
[Annika cheers, applause]
ANNIKA: Yay.
[Annika laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A rope lowers Eric to the ground, and he lies there with his arms spread wide. Annika lowers quickly to the ground on a line attached to her harness.
ANNIKA: Yes. Sha-boom!
[The music stops, birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: On a platform attached to a tree, Eric points to the tree beside him.
ERIC: This is a hemlock tree. What do you think?
ANNIKA: I think it's really tall.
ERIC: It's very tall and very beautiful because this tree is healthy. But down south, the hemlock trees are actually endangered. It's all because of a tiny little bug.
[Squeak, upbeat music plays, pop]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow points to a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a black bug with white cottony strands on them and on the tree. In an animation, the bug skitters across the globe from Asia to the Northeastern coast of the United States.
ERIC NARRATES: It's called the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. And it only came to North America from Asia in 1951. It's an invasive species which can be very destructive because here there are no natural predators to stop it from spreading.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, the destroyed hemlocks are stripped bare, revealing bright white branches.
ERIC NARRATES: Luckily, scientists are trying to find other ways to do just that.
[Birds chirp, mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the platform, Eric turns to Annika.
ERIC: Organizations are doing research to help save the trees. And research costs a lot of money. Maybe the donations from your birthday party could go to help saving the trees.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a red-haired scientist holding a beaker appears.
ANNIKA: I love that idea. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a scientist and do lots of research, and so research is my thing.
[Hands slap, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika and Eric high-five.
ERIC: I'm glad you're on board.
DESCRIPTION: On the ground, Shakira waves.
SHAKIRA: Hey, Annika and Eric. I'm back.
[Pop, upbeat music plays]
ERIC: Got it.
ANNIKA: We'll be right down with you.
[Click]
DESCRIPTION: Eric attaches Annika’s harness to a zipline.
ANNIKA: Ah.
ERIC: Go.
[Cheers, shouts]
ANNIKA: Awesome!
[Eric screams, Shakira shouts, laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Annika ziplines past Shakira, and Eric ziplines down behind her.
[The music stops, birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: On the ground, Annika and Eric stand in front of Shakira, wearing their harnesses and helmets.
SHAKIRA: Okay, I've got a good start on the party prep, but there's still one more thing we need to get.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives Annika a small mason jar, and everyone crouches.
SHAKIRA: Take this mason jar, and we're going to collect some soil from the forest floor. We only take a little bit from an area that won’t disrupt the forest floor.
DESCRIPTION: Annika fills the jar from different locations in the forest.
[Solemn music plays]
SHAKIRA: I've already gotten permission to take the soil, but it's also important to acknowledge the forest. Let's take a moment to say thank you to the forest for letting us use its resources and let it know that we're using it to help other trees.
[Shakira sighs]
SHAKIRA: Thank you, forest.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: Grateful and happy Emojis appear. An Emoji beside Eric blows a kiss and winks.
ANNIKA AND ERIC: Thank you, Forest.
SHAKIRA: Okay. All done. It's partree time.
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti falls around a smiling tree wearing a party hat.
ANNIKA: Oh, yeah.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Annika, and Eric dance.
SHAKIRA: Partree, partree.
[Shakira laughs]
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle bob up and down.
[Text Reads] Green Beat.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Smiling cut-out photographs of Shakira and Eric appear in front of a backdrop of floating question marks.
SHAKIRA: Where do trees have a hard time growing?
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: In a thought bubble beside Eric’s head, the ocean and the moon appear. The thought bubble disappears, and arrows point to Eric’s head.
ERIC: Uh, in the ocean... on the moon... my head?
SHAKIRA: Think Africa.
[Pop, slide whistle]
DESCRIPTION: A lightbulb appears over Eric’s head. A small arrow shows the location of the Sahara Desert on the Earth.
ERIC: The desert.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows a dune in the desert. A map shows the desert growing larger. In an animation, a man runs away from a house as sand covers it.
SHAKIRA: Exactly. The Sahara Desert covers a big part of Africa. The problem is that it's spreading and taking over places where people live.
ERIC: We gotta do something.
SHAKIRA: It's already happening.
DESCRIPTION: The cut-outs of Shakira and Eric smile.
[Text Reads] The Great Green Wall.
SHAKIRA: It's called the Great Green Wall.
[Whoosh, wind gusts]
DESCRIPTION: A montage shows a tree on a hill, above the edge of a thick forest, a zebra standing in the shade, tree branches waving in the wind, and dense tree roots growing over the edge of a cliff.
ERIC: Ah, trees. They're amazing protectors. They give shade. Slow down the wind. And the roots help keep the soil in place.
[Pops]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, trees pop up in a line across the continent of Africa.
SHAKIRA: Right. The plan is to plant trees all across Africa. In an area that's 8000 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide.
ERIC: The desert is getting a great green makeover.
SHAKIRA: All those trees are going to the root of the problem.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows a laughing child behind the cut-outs.
ERIC: It's tree-mendous.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the ground at the treetop trekking course, Eric, Annika, and Shakira sit on a log and lift their legs one at a time. They pose together.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Birds chirp, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The sky over Annika’s house is grey and cloudy.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Raising funds for scientific research is a great way to help. Raising awareness is another way. And a party all about trees is a super fun way to do that.
DESCRIPTION: Annika and Shakira sit at a picnic table with pinecones, string, twigs, glue, tape, scissors, leaves, a wooden letter A, and paper on the tabletop.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Annika, you've got your birthday ‘cause all figured out. Now it's time to make some birthday decorations. Tree themed, of course. Earlier, I gathered these from your backyard. So now we're going to use them to make the decorations. What do you want to do first?
ANNIKA: The A.
[Chime]
SHAKIRA: The A, obviously A for Annika.
[Upbeat music plays]
SHAKIRA: And we're going to decorate it with all these things that we found.
[Pop, chimes]
DESCRIPTION: They glue moss, pinecones, and leaves to the letter A, and Annika holds it up.
ANNIKA SINGS: Ta-da!
SHAKIRA: I love that. Great work. Next, we're going to make a garland. But at the same time, I want to also make confetti for the table.
ANNIKA: Yes.
[Hole punch clicks, upbeat music continues, dramatic music notes play, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Annika uses a single hole punch and punches small holes in an orange piece of paper. She collects the punched-out circles in a bowl. Beside her, Shakira ties pinecones together. Annika holds up the hole-filled paper, and a graphic of a wedge of cheese appears.
ANNIKA: Look, it’s my piece of cheese. Personalized Annika.
SHAKIRA: The confetti looks perfect.
ANNIKA: Thanks.
SHAKIRA: Should we check out the garlands?
ANNIKA: Yeah.
SHAKIRA: Hold it up.
ANNIKA: Ready?
SHAKIRA: One...
BOTH: Two. Three.
DESCRIPTION: They hold up the string of pinecones.
ANNIKA SINGS: Ta da!
[Whistle]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes.
SHAKIRA: It's ready for the partree.
[Chime]
ANNIKA: I think the party is going to be awesome looking now.
SHAKIRA: There's actually one more thing. I have an early birthday present for you. Do you want to see it?
[Annika gasps, light music plays]
ANNIKA: Yes!
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives Annika a white birch box with a hinged lid. Pressed flowers are glued to the lid, and grass and moss line the bottom edge.
ANNIKA: Thank you.
[Slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira opens the box and closes it.
SHAKIRA: I was thinking that when your guests come over for your birthday party, you can put all of the donations inside. And then later on, you can use it as a keepsake box.
DESCRIPTION: Annika gently touches the flowers on the lid.
ANNIKA: Yeah.
SHAKIRA: Now there's just one more thing that every good birthday party needs. Loot bags.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a striped loot bag appears.
ANNIKA: Of course. How could I forget?
SHAKIRA: What about if we give all your friends their very own pocket forest?
[The music stops]
ANNIKA: What's a pocket forest?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Blue and red flags are pushed into the soil around young trees and shrubs.
[Sign Reads] Portsmouth Community. Little Forest Project.
SHAKIRA: A pocket forest is created by planting a few native trees and shrubs closely together.
[Buzz]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, bees and butterflies fly past the pocket forest.
SHAKIRA: They grow super-fast, attract bees and butterflies, and are awesome at cleaning the air. They even absorb more carbon dioxide than a regular forest of the same size.
ANNIKA: Oh, that's awesome. My friends will love that.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Annika, and Shakira walk on top of tree stumps.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On a deck, Annika and Shakira stand behind a table with Nathan, a tall, grey-haired man. He wears eyeglasses and a grey jacket.
SHAKIRA: Annika, I'd like you to meet my friend Nathan.
NATHAN: Hi Annika and hi Shakira.
ANNIKA: Hi!
SHAKIRA: Hi again. Nathan works for an organization called Little Forests, where they help people plant their very own pocket forest.
[Leaves rustle]
DESCRIPTION: Branches sway in the breeze behind Nathan.
NATHAN: We're going to be making loot bags for your birthday today. We're going to make pocket forest loot bags.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira picks up a red bag and holds it in front of her red jacket, and Annika picks up a yellow bag.
SHAKIRA: Ooh. We match.
ANNIKA: Yeah, and I match with this yellow bag.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A shrub graphic appears.
NATHAN: Now we need to put the trees in the bags. We're going to start with a tree called the Red Osier Dogwood. This one is a shrub. That means it grows on many stems. So it spreads out and fills in the area under the trunks of the bigger trees. We need one for each bag.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives the potted Red Osier Dogwood to Annika, and she gives it to Shakira.
SHAKIRA: Thank you.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives Annika a potted Red Osier Dogwood. She packs dogwoods in a blue bag, the yellow bag, and a green bag.
ANNIKA: Thank you. Awesome.
NATHAN: Our second tree for the pocket forest is our Understory tree, which will go about as tall as the house.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a tree is taller than a house graphic beside it.
NATHAN: This is called an Eastern Redbud tree. This tree is really important to our native bees, who are the only ones who have tongues long enough to get the nectar or the food from its blossoms.
[Pop, buzz, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Annika puts the tree in the green bag. In animation, a bee with a long tongue flies beside the bag. A graphic of a tree is taller than the house graphic and the first tree graphic.
NATHAN: The last tree for our pocket forest will get much taller than a house. Our canopy tree is a White Birch.
[Slide whistle, Annika gasps]
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives Annika a small white birch.
ANNIKA: That's my favourite kind of tree.
DESCRIPTION: They put the trees into the loot bags.
NATHAN: Now we need to take some topsoil and surround our trees.
[Soil rustles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika scoops soil out of a bucket and puts it in the green bag.
NATHAN: And there's going to be a little bit of compost that's going on top of this, too.
SHAKIRA: Annika, we promised the forest that we would do something to help other trees.
[Annika claps, sparkles chime]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira takes the mason jar out of her bag.
ANNIKA: Yes, the mason jar.
SHAKIRA: Here.
[Jar clinks]
DESCRIPTION: Annika holds smaller glass jars, and Shakira pours soil into them. In animation, bacteria fall into the smaller jars with the soil. Nathan seals a jar and puts it into a loot bag.
NATHAN: When we plant trees in the city, it's very important that you have forest soil from a forest near you. Because that is where we get the bacteria and the fungus that will feed the trees that we're going to plant. It only goes in when we plant, so we need to keep it separate.
[Soft music plays]
ANNIKA: My friends are going to love these.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan holds instruction cards, and Annika puts one in each loot bag.
NATHAN: I even have instructions for you, too. So if your friends need to know how to plant a tree or if they need any information, they can call us at Little Forest Kingston.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Annika, now the loot bags are finished. It's partree time.
[Slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes. Annika and Shakira dance.
SHAKIRA: Victory dance.
[Shakira laughs, Annika sings]
DESCRIPTION: Nathan dances with Annika and Shakira.
ANNIKA: Dance with us.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle bob up and down.
[Text Reads] Green Beat.
[Upbeat music plays, fingers snap, chimes]
DESCRIPTION: In front of a purple background, a cut-out photograph of Shakira wears a black top hat and a red bowtie. She snaps her fingers, and graphics of trees appear on each side of her.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Imagine you're a magician, snapping your fingers and making trees appear out of nowhere. Wouldn't that be cool?
[Clicks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow cursor moves on a picture of green hills, and trees appear. At a kitchen table, a man and two children look at a laptop computer screen together.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Well, here's something pretty close. With the click of a mouse, you can actually help trees grow. When people look things up on the internet, they often use a search engine to find the information they want.
[Clicks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A person enters “Ice Cream Sundae” in the Ecosia browser search box, and pictures of sundaes appear.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Search engines make money from the ads you see. Ecosia is a search engine that uses that money to help people around the world plant trees.
[Upbeat music continues, pops]
DESCRIPTION: Arrows on a world map point to photographs of trees in Brazil, Senegal, Kenya, and Indonesia. In animation, trees fill the space around a counter with the number constantly rising from over 218 million.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Ecosia has already helped plant over 200 million trees around the world. Wow. With each search, people are being part of a tree-growing team, helping the planet grow greener with just a few clicks.
[Clicks]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow cursor moves over the green hills, and ice cream cones and a sundae appear.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Maybe one day it'll work for ice cream, too. Yum.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika, Shakira, and Eric peek around a tree and then run away.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Annika walk on the grass in Annika’s yard.
SHAKIRA: How do you feel about your partree?
ANNIKA: Oh, I feel like it's going to be awesome.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] Awesome!
SHAKIRA: You feel ready?
ANNIKA: Yes.
SHAKIRA: And how do you feel about collecting money for the trees?
ANNIKA: I think that's going to help a lot. And I like making changes in the world.
SHAKIRA: Yeah. Me too. One more question, I gotta know. Did you have fun treetop trekking today?
ANNIKA: What do you think?
SHAKIRA: Well, I do have one more surprise for you. You will be taking your friends there for your birthday party. So you can share your love of trees with all of them.
ANNIKA: What?
SHAKIRA: Yeah.
ANNIKA: I can't wait to show all my friends. Thank you.
SHAKIRA: Of course. And I can't wait to see how much fun you have. Have the best time ever, ok?
[Hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Annika high-five.
[Upbeat music plays]
[Text Reads] Check-In.
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad dances. In the Green Squad headquarters, Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle sit around the table with the tablet.
SHAKIRA: Ooh, let's see how Annika’s party went.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: At the treetop trekking course, Annika attaches her harness to a safety line.
ANNIKA: Best birthday ever.
DESCRIPTION: A girl with braided brown hair rides a zipline.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Yay!
ERIC: Yeah. For sure.
DESCRIPTION: A child crawls through tunnels suspended between trees.
ANNIKA: My favourite part of my partree is all these amazing obstacles. Especially the ones where you go on them and they zipline you across.
[Board rustles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika stands on the board as it slides on ropes.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: That looks so fun.
DESCRIPTION: In the Green Squad headquarters, Lisa sits beside Shakira.
LISA: Yeah, they look like they're having a blast.
[Birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: Kyle and Eric nod. In the forest, Annika sits on the ground.
ANNIKA: My favourite one of the activities that I did with the Green Squad was when I went treetop trekking with Eric, and then he said he's actually scared of heights.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric looks at the other squad members.
ERIC: I wanted to thank Annika for supporting me when I was up in the trees. She really helped me get through that, that experience.
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika waves her hand.
ANNIKA: Time to have some…
[Zipline rattles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika ziplines.
ANNIKA SHOUTS: Cake!
[Green Squad exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika’s cake resembles a tree trunk with chocolate bark on the sides, berries, and pine needles on the top. In the headquarters, the squad smiles.
LISA: Oh, I love that cake.
ERIC: Look at that.
LISA: The cake looks amazing.
DESCRIPTION: At the party, the decorated letter A stands on a table.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Aww, the decorations we made.
[Lid rustles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: At the party, children put envelopes in the birch box.
ANNIKA: I think the birthday donations are amazing. It makes me so happy that my birthday donations are helping the trees. And the more we help them, the better.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric sits beside Shakira.
SHAKIRA: And I think it's really cool of Annika to have a tree-themed party, because not only is it something she loves and cares about, but it also spreads a lot of awareness.
LISA: Being in nature really makes you appreciate it, which also makes you want to take care of it.
DESCRIPTION: At the party, Annika picks up a blue loot bag. She gives the loot bags to her friends.
ANNIKA: These are loot bags for you guys. These are called pocket forests.
DESCRIPTION: At the headquarters, the squad watches as Annika hands out the loot bags.
KYLE: I've never even heard of this before.
ERIC: It is such a cool concept.
SHAKIRA: I had so much fun making these with her, and we made sure to customize them for each of her individual friends. So let's see how they like them.
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika sits on the ground.
[Background shouts]
ANNIKA: They love them. I bet you will all plant them really nicely. And all those trees will have a lovely little home.
BROWN-HAIRED CHILD: I think it's going to be really fun to grow.
DESCRIPTION: A girl with two braids holds a blue loot bag.
CHILD WITH THE BRAIDS: I think it's a really creative idea because it's eco-friendly, and it also helps like grow trees in your garden for the wildlife.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short blond hair holds a red loot bag.
BLOND-HAIRED CHILD: I'm excited to see what it looks like.
ANNIKA: Shakira and Eric are really fun, and I thank them for helping. Thank you, Green Squad.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric and Shakira make hearts with their hands.
ERIC: Awwww.
SHAKIRA: Of course.
ERIC: Hearts.
SHAKIRA: Great work, Annika.
KYLE: I think your party was unbelleafibly cool.
[Everyone laughs]
GREEN SQUAD CHEERS: Go Annika!
[Upbeat music plays]
[End credits] The Squad: Eric Arsenault, Shakira Botticelli, Kyle Meagher, Lisa Pryce. Creator and Executive Producer: Jonathan Finklestein. Producer: Stephanie Blanshay. Director: Melissa Peters. Writer/Off-line: Jean-Louise Cote. Executive Producer, T.V.O. Kids: Kirsten Hurd. Production Executive, T.V.O. Kids: Aaron Bala. Special thanks: Annika and her family and friends, Little Forests Kingston, Nathan Nesdoly, Joanne Whitfield, Joyce Hostyn, Treetop Trekking, Mike Steill, Val Routledge, Ecosia, The City of Kingston, Ontario. An Apartment 11 Production.
CHILD: Whee
[Logo] T.V.O. Kids.
[Child giggles, squeak]
DESCRIPTION: A blue eye peers out of the Apartment Eleven Productions logo.
[Logo] Apartment Eleven Productions.
Descriptive Transcript
CHILD: Wheee!
[Child giggles, pop, playful music plays]
[Logo] T.V.O. Kids Original.
[Rock music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On a screen with a play bar at the bottom, Annika stands in front of trees. She has long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. Annika wears a blue and white jacket. She cartwheels across thick grass.
ANNIKA: Hi, I'm Annika, and I'm ten years old, but I'm turning 11 really soon.
DESCRIPTION: In the Green Squad headquarters, Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle sit around a small table with a tablet propped up on it.
GREEN SQUAD: Hi Annika!
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Annika posing with a horse, posing on a stage wearing a tutu, and posing in front of a stage wearing a winter hat and a striped scarf. In her backyard, she pushes another child on a flat swing. In the grass, a rabbit hops behind a bush.
ANNIKA: I love horses, musicals, and playing with my friends. I also really love nature. Especially trees.
DESCRIPTION: Annika hugs a tree.
ANNIKA: When I was younger, I was fascinated when my teacher told me that trees breathe out oxygen and we breathe in the oxygen, and then we breathe out carbon dioxide, and then they breathe in the carbon dioxide, and it's like we're connected to the trees in a cycle.
DESCRIPTION: She throws colourful fall leaves over her head, and then makes a heart with her fingers by the tree trunk.
ANNIKA: And that's why I always feel so connected to the trees all the time. Because I know they work for me, and so I should give them lots of love.
DESCRIPTION: In the squad headquarters, the Green Squad makes hearts with their fingers.
GREEN SQUAD: Aww.
DESCRIPTION: Annika stands in front of the trees.
ANNIKA: I learned that trees can be endangered, just like animals. And I really want to help them, but I don't know how.
DESCRIPTION: In the squad headquarters, Shakira sits on the floor, and the others sit on couches.
ERIC: Well, there’s a lot of different ways. Let's help her, help the trees.
SHAKIRA: And let's not forget about her birthday. I'm thinking tree-themed.
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Lisa, and Kyle nod. In front of the trees, Annika smiles.
ANNIKA: Hey, Squad, can you help me out?
[Letters pop]
[Text Reads] Hey Squad, can you help me out?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad smiles.
[Text reads] Lisa.
DESCRIPTION: Lisa wears a red blouse, and her long brown hair is tightly braided. She holds a reusable shopping bag and smiles. Graphics of food, a light bulb with a plug, and a shopping bag fly out of her bag.
[Text reads] Kyle.
DESCRIPTION: Kyle holds a red backpack. His dark brown hair reaches beneath his ears. Graphics of a bicycle, a skateboard, shoes, and a truck appear.
[Text reads] Shakira.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, a girl with long black hair, turns. She wears a sleeveless black shirt and a white skirt. Graphics of a sewing machine, scissors, and safety pins appear.
[Text reads] Eric.
DESCRIPTION: Eric holds a long work bag and smiles. His short black hair is straight, and he wears a blue t-shirt and brown overalls. Graphics of a fence, gardening tools, a wheelbarrow, and a watering can appear. The Green Squad dances.
[Text reads] T.V.O. Kids presents. An Apartment 11 Production.
[Title] Green Squad.
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad poses together.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Upbeat music plays, knock on the door, door clicks, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Eric walk to Annika’s front door. Eric knocks, and Annika opens the door.
EVERYONE: Hi!
SHAKIRA: I'm Shakira.
ERIC: I'm Eric.
ANNIKA: I'm Annika.
SHAKIRA: Nice to meet you.
DESCRIPTION: Annika’s family arrives in the doorway behind her. Her young brother, Nepomuk, waves. He has short red hair and wears a red shirt with a firetruck pattern. Her sister, Matilda, has bobbed blonde hair. Her dad, Thomas, has short white hair and wears eyeglasses and a brown shirt.
ANNIKA: This is my family. This is my little brother, Nepomuk. This is my little sister, Matilda. And this is my dad, Thomas.
NEPOMUK: Hi!
THOMAS: Hi.
SHAKIRA: Nice to meet you all.
ERIC: Hi.
SHAKIRA: I love your property. There's so many beautiful trees here.
ANNIKA: Thank you.
ERIC: Why don't you introduce us to some of your tree friends?
[Pop, upbeat music plays]
[Text Reads] Yeah, sure.
ANNIKA: Yeah, sure.
ERIC: The rain won't stop us. Let's get out of here.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika wears a yellow raincoat as she leads Shakira and Eric to a large tree in her yard.
ANNIKA: This is one of my besties. This tree is super amazing.
[Tap]
DESCRIPTION: Annika points to her window.
ANNIKA: And it taps against my window, and it's like it's saying hello or good night.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A tree graphic appears with a speech bubble that reads, “Hello,” and a speech bubble that reads, “Good night.”
SHAKIRA: I love that.
ERIC: Annika, I can tell you love trees. So it's your birthday soon, I hear, and Shakira and I have a few ideas.
SHAKIRA: What about if we help you plan a birthday party that's all about trees? That way, you can share your love of trees with all your friends.
[Whoosh, triumphant music plays, hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: Annika, Shakira, and Eric high-five.
ANNIKA: That sounds awesome, thank you.
[Mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika leads Eric and Shakira to an evergreen tree with low, wide branches.
ANNIKA: Okay, I have one more tree to show you. This is my favourite climbing tree. I like it the very most because I like to see how high I can go.
SHAKIRA: That seems really fun.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] WOW!
ERIC: Okay, I've got an idea. You can make the party a fundraiser to help the trees. You can ask your friends and family to donate to something that's really important to you and make a difference. What do you think?
ANNIKA: Well, I really want to help the trees, but I don't know what kind of cause that would be to.
ERIC: I think I can help with that. I know you love climbing. So we're going to go somewhere where we're going to learn all about the local trees and the ones that need help. We're going to get up close and personal with these trees. And I mean, like, way up.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Annika, and Shakira jump off tree stumps. Annika falls, and Eric and Shakira help her to her feet.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Bird squawks]
DESCRIPTION: Later, Annika stands between Eric and Shakira, wearing a pink sleep mask.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Anika, are you ready to see your big surprise?
ERIC: Removing your blindfold in three…
SHAKIRA AND ERIC: Two, one.
DESCRIPTION: Numbers count down above Annika’s head.
ERIC: We're going treetop trekking.
[Explosions, slide whistles]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes around Annika as she lifts the sleep mask and looks around.
ANNIKA: I’m so excited.
[Cheers, applause, zip line rattles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Above, a person walks away from a vertical net, along hanging pieces of wood. Another person stands on a board that slides between two ropes. A third person ziplines.
SHAKIRA: Yes, we’re so excited.
ERIC: What a better way to get to know the trees, huh?
ANNIKA: There's no better way, honestly.
DESCRIPTION: Annika, Eric, and Shakira put on harnesses and helmets and attach themselves to safety lines.
ANNIKA: To the unknown.
DESCRIPTION: Eric stands beneath Annika as she carefully climbs a wooden plank with bars on each side up to a platform.
ERIC: Tree climber, Monkey Magoo.
ANNIKA: Yeah. That's me.
ERIC: Monkey Magoo.
ANNIKA: No, Tarzan, Tarzan, Tarzan.
DESCRIPTION: Alone, Eric speaks directly into the camera.
ERIC: I've got a secret confession. I'm afraid of heights. Wish me luck.
DESCRIPTION: Eric climbs up to the platform, and a thought bubble appears beside him.
[Whoosh]
[Thought Bubble Text Reads] Yikes!
ANNIKA: You got this, Eric.
SHAKIRA: You can do it.
DESCRIPTION: Above Eric, Annika walks across dangling chains.
ANNIKA: Come on. You can do anything. Even if you're a little kid compared to everybody else.
SHAKIRA: Hey, what’s up, guys?
DESCRIPTION: Above Annika, Shakira stands on a rope with vertical boards spread at intervals across.
ANNIKA: Good job!
SHAKIRA: Thanks. Just hanging around, you know.
ERIC: Why am I looking down? I should just look straight. But I gotta put my feet.
DESCRIPTION: Eric holds ropes and walks on a zig-zagging line of logs suspended between trees.
SHAKIRA: Eric is a little bit scared down there.
ANNIKA: He’s fine now.
SHAKIRA: But we believe in him because he's doing so well and he's so brave so.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives the camera a thumbs-up.
SHAKIRA: You got this, Eric.
ERIC: Ah.
DESCRIPTION: Eric reaches the end of the logs.
ERIC: Hey, guys, I did it.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] I did it!
DESCRIPTION: Eric excitedly jumps up and down on a platform.
SHAKIRA: Alright, you two, I'm gonna head out and do some party prep. See you later.
ERIC AND ANNIKA: Bye!
DESCRIPTION: Shakira holds a line and jumps off a platform. She lowers herself to the ground.
ERIC: Whoa, look at her go.
[Shakira cheers]
ANNIKA: That is so awesome.
[Annika cheers, applause]
ANNIKA: Yay.
[Annika laughs]
DESCRIPTION: A rope lowers Eric to the ground, and he lies there with his arms spread wide. Annika lowers quickly to the ground on a line attached to her harness.
ANNIKA: Yes. Sha-boom!
[The music stops, birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: On a platform attached to a tree, Eric points to the tree beside him.
ERIC: This is a hemlock tree. What do you think?
ANNIKA: I think it's really tall.
ERIC: It's very tall and very beautiful because this tree is healthy. But down south, the hemlock trees are actually endangered. It's all because of a tiny little bug.
[Squeak, upbeat music plays, pop]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow points to a Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a black bug with white cottony strands on them and on the tree. In an animation, the bug skitters across the globe from Asia to the Northeastern coast of the United States.
ERIC NARRATES: It's called the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. And it only came to North America from Asia in 1951. It's an invasive species which can be very destructive because here there are no natural predators to stop it from spreading.
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, the destroyed hemlocks are stripped bare, revealing bright white branches.
ERIC NARRATES: Luckily, scientists are trying to find other ways to do just that.
[Birds chirp, mellow music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the platform, Eric turns to Annika.
ERIC: Organizations are doing research to help save the trees. And research costs a lot of money. Maybe the donations from your birthday party could go to help saving the trees.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a red-haired scientist holding a beaker appears.
ANNIKA: I love that idea. When I was younger, I always wanted to be a scientist and do lots of research, and so research is my thing.
[Hands slap, light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Annika and Eric high-five.
ERIC: I'm glad you're on board.
DESCRIPTION: On the ground, Shakira waves.
SHAKIRA: Hey, Annika and Eric. I'm back.
[Pop, upbeat music plays]
ERIC: Got it.
ANNIKA: We'll be right down with you.
[Click]
DESCRIPTION: Eric attaches Annika’s harness to a zipline.
ANNIKA: Ah.
ERIC: Go.
[Cheers, shouts]
ANNIKA: Awesome!
[Eric screams, Shakira shouts, laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Annika ziplines past Shakira, and Eric ziplines down behind her.
[The music stops, birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: On the ground, Annika and Eric stand in front of Shakira, wearing their harnesses and helmets.
SHAKIRA: Okay, I've got a good start on the party prep, but there's still one more thing we need to get.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives Annika a small mason jar, and everyone crouches.
SHAKIRA: Take this mason jar, and we're going to collect some soil from the forest floor. We only take a little bit from an area that won’t disrupt the forest floor.
DESCRIPTION: Annika fills the jar from different locations in the forest.
[Solemn music plays]
SHAKIRA: I've already gotten permission to take the soil, but it's also important to acknowledge the forest. Let's take a moment to say thank you to the forest for letting us use its resources and let it know that we're using it to help other trees.
[Shakira sighs]
SHAKIRA: Thank you, forest.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: Grateful and happy Emojis appear. An Emoji beside Eric blows a kiss and winks.
ANNIKA AND ERIC: Thank you, Forest.
SHAKIRA: Okay. All done. It's partree time.
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti falls around a smiling tree wearing a party hat.
ANNIKA: Oh, yeah.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Annika, and Eric dance.
SHAKIRA: Partree, partree.
[Shakira laughs]
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle bob up and down.
[Text Reads] Green Beat.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Smiling cut-out photographs of Shakira and Eric appear in front of a backdrop of floating question marks.
SHAKIRA: Where do trees have a hard time growing?
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: In a thought bubble beside Eric’s head, the ocean and the moon appear. The thought bubble disappears, and arrows point to Eric’s head.
ERIC: Uh, in the ocean... on the moon... my head?
SHAKIRA: Think Africa.
[Pop, slide whistle]
DESCRIPTION: A lightbulb appears over Eric’s head. A small arrow shows the location of the Sahara Desert on the Earth.
ERIC: The desert.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows a dune in the desert. A map shows the desert growing larger. In an animation, a man runs away from a house as sand covers it.
SHAKIRA: Exactly. The Sahara Desert covers a big part of Africa. The problem is that it's spreading and taking over places where people live.
ERIC: We gotta do something.
SHAKIRA: It's already happening.
DESCRIPTION: The cut-outs of Shakira and Eric smile.
[Text Reads] The Great Green Wall.
SHAKIRA: It's called the Great Green Wall.
[Whoosh, wind gusts]
DESCRIPTION: A montage shows a tree on a hill, above the edge of a thick forest, a zebra standing in the shade, tree branches waving in the wind, and dense tree roots growing over the edge of a cliff.
ERIC: Ah, trees. They're amazing protectors. They give shade. Slow down the wind. And the roots help keep the soil in place.
[Pops]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, trees pop up in a line across the continent of Africa.
SHAKIRA: Right. The plan is to plant trees all across Africa. In an area that's 8000 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide.
ERIC: The desert is getting a great green makeover.
SHAKIRA: All those trees are going to the root of the problem.
DESCRIPTION: Video footage shows a laughing child behind the cut-outs.
ERIC: It's tree-mendous.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On the ground at the treetop trekking course, Eric, Annika, and Shakira sit on a log and lift their legs one at a time. They pose together.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Birds chirp, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The sky over Annika’s house is grey and cloudy.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Raising funds for scientific research is a great way to help. Raising awareness is another way. And a party all about trees is a super fun way to do that.
DESCRIPTION: Annika and Shakira sit at a picnic table with pinecones, string, twigs, glue, tape, scissors, leaves, a wooden letter A, and paper on the tabletop.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Annika, you've got your birthday ‘cause all figured out. Now it's time to make some birthday decorations. Tree themed, of course. Earlier, I gathered these from your backyard. So now we're going to use them to make the decorations. What do you want to do first?
ANNIKA: The A.
[Chime]
SHAKIRA: The A, obviously A for Annika.
[Upbeat music plays]
SHAKIRA: And we're going to decorate it with all these things that we found.
[Pop, chimes]
DESCRIPTION: They glue moss, pinecones, and leaves to the letter A, and Annika holds it up.
ANNIKA SINGS: Ta-da!
SHAKIRA: I love that. Great work. Next, we're going to make a garland. But at the same time, I want to also make confetti for the table.
ANNIKA: Yes.
[Hole punch clicks, upbeat music continues, dramatic music notes play, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Annika uses a single hole punch and punches small holes in an orange piece of paper. She collects the punched-out circles in a bowl. Beside her, Shakira ties pinecones together. Annika holds up the hole-filled paper, and a graphic of a wedge of cheese appears.
ANNIKA: Look, it’s my piece of cheese. Personalized Annika.
SHAKIRA: The confetti looks perfect.
ANNIKA: Thanks.
SHAKIRA: Should we check out the garlands?
ANNIKA: Yeah.
SHAKIRA: Hold it up.
ANNIKA: Ready?
SHAKIRA: One...
BOTH: Two. Three.
DESCRIPTION: They hold up the string of pinecones.
ANNIKA SINGS: Ta da!
[Whistle]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes.
SHAKIRA: It's ready for the partree.
[Chime]
ANNIKA: I think the party is going to be awesome looking now.
SHAKIRA: There's actually one more thing. I have an early birthday present for you. Do you want to see it?
[Annika gasps, light music plays]
ANNIKA: Yes!
DESCRIPTION: Shakira gives Annika a white birch box with a hinged lid. Pressed flowers are glued to the lid, and grass and moss line the bottom edge.
ANNIKA: Thank you.
[Slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira opens the box and closes it.
SHAKIRA: I was thinking that when your guests come over for your birthday party, you can put all of the donations inside. And then later on, you can use it as a keepsake box.
DESCRIPTION: Annika gently touches the flowers on the lid.
ANNIKA: Yeah.
SHAKIRA: Now there's just one more thing that every good birthday party needs. Loot bags.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a striped loot bag appears.
ANNIKA: Of course. How could I forget?
SHAKIRA: What about if we give all your friends their very own pocket forest?
[The music stops]
ANNIKA: What's a pocket forest?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Blue and red flags are pushed into the soil around young trees and shrubs.
[Sign Reads] Portsmouth Community. Little Forest Project.
SHAKIRA: A pocket forest is created by planting a few native trees and shrubs closely together.
[Buzz]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, bees and butterflies fly past the pocket forest.
SHAKIRA: They grow super-fast, attract bees and butterflies, and are awesome at cleaning the air. They even absorb more carbon dioxide than a regular forest of the same size.
ANNIKA: Oh, that's awesome. My friends will love that.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Eric, Annika, and Shakira walk on top of tree stumps.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: On a deck, Annika and Shakira stand behind a table with Nathan, a tall, grey-haired man. He wears eyeglasses and a grey jacket.
SHAKIRA: Annika, I'd like you to meet my friend Nathan.
NATHAN: Hi Annika and hi Shakira.
ANNIKA: Hi!
SHAKIRA: Hi again. Nathan works for an organization called Little Forests, where they help people plant their very own pocket forest.
[Leaves rustle]
DESCRIPTION: Branches sway in the breeze behind Nathan.
NATHAN: We're going to be making loot bags for your birthday today. We're going to make pocket forest loot bags.
DESCRIPTION: Shakira picks up a red bag and holds it in front of her red jacket, and Annika picks up a yellow bag.
SHAKIRA: Ooh. We match.
ANNIKA: Yeah, and I match with this yellow bag.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A shrub graphic appears.
NATHAN: Now we need to put the trees in the bags. We're going to start with a tree called the Red Osier Dogwood. This one is a shrub. That means it grows on many stems. So it spreads out and fills in the area under the trunks of the bigger trees. We need one for each bag.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives the potted Red Osier Dogwood to Annika, and she gives it to Shakira.
SHAKIRA: Thank you.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives Annika a potted Red Osier Dogwood. She packs dogwoods in a blue bag, the yellow bag, and a green bag.
ANNIKA: Thank you. Awesome.
NATHAN: Our second tree for the pocket forest is our Understory tree, which will go about as tall as the house.
[Pop]
DESCRIPTION: A graphic of a tree is taller than a house graphic beside it.
NATHAN: This is called an Eastern Redbud tree. This tree is really important to our native bees, who are the only ones who have tongues long enough to get the nectar or the food from its blossoms.
[Pop, buzz, pop]
DESCRIPTION: Annika puts the tree in the green bag. In animation, a bee with a long tongue flies beside the bag. A graphic of a tree is taller than the house graphic and the first tree graphic.
NATHAN: The last tree for our pocket forest will get much taller than a house. Our canopy tree is a White Birch.
[Slide whistle, Annika gasps]
DESCRIPTION: Nathan gives Annika a small white birch.
ANNIKA: That's my favourite kind of tree.
DESCRIPTION: They put the trees into the loot bags.
NATHAN: Now we need to take some topsoil and surround our trees.
[Soil rustles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika scoops soil out of a bucket and puts it in the green bag.
NATHAN: And there's going to be a little bit of compost that's going on top of this, too.
SHAKIRA: Annika, we promised the forest that we would do something to help other trees.
[Annika claps, sparkles chime]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira takes the mason jar out of her bag.
ANNIKA: Yes, the mason jar.
SHAKIRA: Here.
[Jar clinks]
DESCRIPTION: Annika holds smaller glass jars, and Shakira pours soil into them. In animation, bacteria fall into the smaller jars with the soil. Nathan seals a jar and puts it into a loot bag.
NATHAN: When we plant trees in the city, it's very important that you have forest soil from a forest near you. Because that is where we get the bacteria and the fungus that will feed the trees that we're going to plant. It only goes in when we plant, so we need to keep it separate.
[Soft music plays]
ANNIKA: My friends are going to love these.
DESCRIPTION: Nathan holds instruction cards, and Annika puts one in each loot bag.
NATHAN: I even have instructions for you, too. So if your friends need to know how to plant a tree or if they need any information, they can call us at Little Forest Kingston.
SHAKIRA: Okay, Annika, now the loot bags are finished. It's partree time.
[Slide whistle, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In animation, confetti explodes. Annika and Shakira dance.
SHAKIRA: Victory dance.
[Shakira laughs, Annika sings]
DESCRIPTION: Nathan dances with Annika and Shakira.
ANNIKA: Dance with us.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle bob up and down.
[Text Reads] Green Beat.
[Upbeat music plays, fingers snap, chimes]
DESCRIPTION: In front of a purple background, a cut-out photograph of Shakira wears a black top hat and a red bowtie. She snaps her fingers, and graphics of trees appear on each side of her.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Imagine you're a magician, snapping your fingers and making trees appear out of nowhere. Wouldn't that be cool?
[Clicks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow cursor moves on a picture of green hills, and trees appear. At a kitchen table, a man and two children look at a laptop computer screen together.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Well, here's something pretty close. With the click of a mouse, you can actually help trees grow. When people look things up on the internet, they often use a search engine to find the information they want.
[Clicks, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: A person enters “Ice Cream Sundae” in the Ecosia browser search box, and pictures of sundaes appear.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Search engines make money from the ads you see. Ecosia is a search engine that uses that money to help people around the world plant trees.
[Upbeat music continues, pops]
DESCRIPTION: Arrows on a world map point to photographs of trees in Brazil, Senegal, Kenya, and Indonesia. In animation, trees fill the space around a counter with the number constantly rising from over 218 million.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Ecosia has already helped plant over 200 million trees around the world. Wow. With each search, people are being part of a tree-growing team, helping the planet grow greener with just a few clicks.
[Clicks]
DESCRIPTION: An arrow cursor moves over the green hills, and ice cream cones and a sundae appear.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Maybe one day it'll work for ice cream, too. Yum.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika, Shakira, and Eric peek around a tree and then run away.
ELECTRONIC VOICE: Green Squad.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Annika walk on the grass in Annika’s yard.
SHAKIRA: How do you feel about your partree?
ANNIKA: Oh, I feel like it's going to be awesome.
[Pop]
[Text Reads] Awesome!
SHAKIRA: You feel ready?
ANNIKA: Yes.
SHAKIRA: And how do you feel about collecting money for the trees?
ANNIKA: I think that's going to help a lot. And I like making changes in the world.
SHAKIRA: Yeah. Me too. One more question, I gotta know. Did you have fun treetop trekking today?
ANNIKA: What do you think?
SHAKIRA: Well, I do have one more surprise for you. You will be taking your friends there for your birthday party. So you can share your love of trees with all of them.
ANNIKA: What?
SHAKIRA: Yeah.
ANNIKA: I can't wait to show all my friends. Thank you.
SHAKIRA: Of course. And I can't wait to see how much fun you have. Have the best time ever, ok?
[Hands slap]
DESCRIPTION: Shakira and Annika high-five.
[Upbeat music plays]
[Text Reads] Check-In.
DESCRIPTION: The Green Squad dances. In the Green Squad headquarters, Shakira, Eric, Lisa, and Kyle sit around the table with the tablet.
SHAKIRA: Ooh, let's see how Annika’s party went.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: At the treetop trekking course, Annika attaches her harness to a safety line.
ANNIKA: Best birthday ever.
DESCRIPTION: A girl with braided brown hair rides a zipline.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Yay!
ERIC: Yeah. For sure.
DESCRIPTION: A child crawls through tunnels suspended between trees.
ANNIKA: My favourite part of my partree is all these amazing obstacles. Especially the ones where you go on them and they zipline you across.
[Board rustles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika stands on the board as it slides on ropes.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: That looks so fun.
DESCRIPTION: In the Green Squad headquarters, Lisa sits beside Shakira.
LISA: Yeah, they look like they're having a blast.
[Birds chirp]
DESCRIPTION: Kyle and Eric nod. In the forest, Annika sits on the ground.
ANNIKA: My favourite one of the activities that I did with the Green Squad was when I went treetop trekking with Eric, and then he said he's actually scared of heights.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric looks at the other squad members.
ERIC: I wanted to thank Annika for supporting me when I was up in the trees. She really helped me get through that, that experience.
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika waves her hand.
ANNIKA: Time to have some…
[Zipline rattles]
DESCRIPTION: Annika ziplines.
ANNIKA SHOUTS: Cake!
[Green Squad exclaims]
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika’s cake resembles a tree trunk with chocolate bark on the sides, berries, and pine needles on the top. In the headquarters, the squad smiles.
LISA: Oh, I love that cake.
ERIC: Look at that.
LISA: The cake looks amazing.
DESCRIPTION: At the party, the decorated letter A stands on a table.
SHAKIRA NARRATES: Aww, the decorations we made.
[Lid rustles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: At the party, children put envelopes in the birch box.
ANNIKA: I think the birthday donations are amazing. It makes me so happy that my birthday donations are helping the trees. And the more we help them, the better.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric sits beside Shakira.
SHAKIRA: And I think it's really cool of Annika to have a tree-themed party, because not only is it something she loves and cares about, but it also spreads a lot of awareness.
LISA: Being in nature really makes you appreciate it, which also makes you want to take care of it.
DESCRIPTION: At the party, Annika picks up a blue loot bag. She gives the loot bags to her friends.
ANNIKA: These are loot bags for you guys. These are called pocket forests.
DESCRIPTION: At the headquarters, the squad watches as Annika hands out the loot bags.
KYLE: I've never even heard of this before.
ERIC: It is such a cool concept.
SHAKIRA: I had so much fun making these with her, and we made sure to customize them for each of her individual friends. So let's see how they like them.
DESCRIPTION: In the forest, Annika sits on the ground.
[Background shouts]
ANNIKA: They love them. I bet you will all plant them really nicely. And all those trees will have a lovely little home.
BROWN-HAIRED CHILD: I think it's going to be really fun to grow.
DESCRIPTION: A girl with two braids holds a blue loot bag.
CHILD WITH THE BRAIDS: I think it's a really creative idea because it's eco-friendly, and it also helps like grow trees in your garden for the wildlife.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short blond hair holds a red loot bag.
BLOND-HAIRED CHILD: I'm excited to see what it looks like.
ANNIKA: Shakira and Eric are really fun, and I thank them for helping. Thank you, Green Squad.
DESCRIPTION: In the headquarters, Eric and Shakira make hearts with their hands.
ERIC: Awwww.
SHAKIRA: Of course.
ERIC: Hearts.
SHAKIRA: Great work, Annika.
KYLE: I think your party was unbelleafibly cool.
[Everyone laughs]
GREEN SQUAD CHEERS: Go Annika!
[Upbeat music plays]
[End credits] The Squad: Eric Arsenault, Shakira Botticelli, Kyle Meagher, Lisa Pryce. Creator and Executive Producer: Jonathan Finklestein. Producer: Stephanie Blanshay. Director: Melissa Peters. Writer/Off-line: Jean-Louise Cote. Executive Producer, T.V.O. Kids: Kirsten Hurd. Production Executive, T.V.O. Kids: Aaron Bala. Special thanks: Annika and her family and friends, Little Forests Kingston, Nathan Nesdoly, Joanne Whitfield, Joyce Hostyn, Treetop Trekking, Mike Steill, Val Routledge, Ecosia, The City of Kingston, Ontario. An Apartment 11 Production.
CHILD: Whee
[Logo] T.V.O. Kids.
[Child giggles, squeak]
DESCRIPTION: A blue eye peers out of the Apartment Eleven Productions logo.
[Logo] Apartment Eleven Productions.
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