“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
-Jane Goodall
Paving the way as a champion for hope and very much ahead of her time, is the OG pioneer scientist, conservationist and humanitarian, Dr. Jane Goodall. A woman whose dedication to wildlife and conservation, with a special focus on chimpanzees, is unwavering, Dr. Jane has dedicated her life to nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work and she wouldn’t have it any other way, “This is what I came into the world to do,” she says.
It was her childhood dog, Rusty, whom she was inseparable from, that inspired her future work with chimpanzees by helping to prove to her that animals have minds, personalities, and feelings. Her plan from a young age was to “go live in Africa, spend time with animals and write books about them.”
In 1960 at the age of 26, Jane left London, England for Gombe, Tanzania, and equipped with a notebook, binoculars, and a passionate curiosity about chimpanzees, ventured into the bush to learn more about them in their natural habitat. In her first year of observation, she discovered that chimps made and used tools, which until that moment, was considered an exclusive human ability. Dr. Jane went on to receive a PhD from Cambridge University in Ethology, the science of animal behavior.
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, an organization dedicated to protecting chimpanzees, their habitats, our environment, and improving education and health for girls and women. Additionally, JGI helps young people learn about conservation, encouraging future leadership through their Roots & Shoots youth programs, which is established in nearly 100 countries and has inspired 5800+ projects around the world. The Institute’s contribution includes:
- 3.4 million acres of habitat being covered under Conservation Action Plans.
- 130 communities engaged and involved in programs led by JGI.
- 290 chimpanzees and gorillas receiving care in sanctuaries managed or supported by JGI.
- 600 girls returning to school after mentorship.
- 309 scholarships provided to support young women with their education.
- 5,800 Roots & Shoots projects around the world.
There is no shortage of the work that can be done or the support we can all offer, including becoming a chimp guardian through the foundation’s sanctuary and rehabilitation center. You can learn more at her Good For All News page on the JGI website. Additionally, #JanesGreenHope – green is good for all – is how people can submit one of the many pledges to plant, restore, and protect trees and forests locally, to green their community and make their own contribution to a better world.
To date, Dr. Jane has authored over 25 books, with her newest tome, The Book Of Hope, coming out October 19, 2021. Taking readers on an epic journey through the forests of Tanzania, the book highlights the hope for humanity and the idea that hope itself is one of our greatest survival skills: Hope keeps us going, motivated and inspired that we can make a difference. Dr. Jane has the unique ability to inspire positive messages surrounding troubling issues, with one of her greatest reasons for hope being the indomitable human spirit.
As a scientist, activist, storyteller and icon, she has also added a podcast to her repertoire, launching “Hopecast” at the end of 2020. Dr. Jane, who has revolutionized our understanding of the natural world, is on a journey to tell stories and spread hope through her new platform. Speaking to change-makers in all areas, Dr. Jane’s mission is to build a better world for all. Continuing her speaking engagements, albeit virtually, Dr. Jane is not slowing down, driven to teach future generations that we have a collective mission to preserve and protect planet earth, and all that inhabits it.
There is so much to know and love about Jane Goodall, who is universally respected and admired throughout the world and by all generations. A tribute to the life and living legacy of the scientist and naturalist, a virtual tour based on the award winning National Geographic Museum exhibition, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr Jane Goodall,” is online, where you can explore her world. The immersive in-person exhibition is now on tour, and opening on May 21, 2021, in Chicago, at the Field Museum for a summer run. Celebrating her 87th birthday this past Earth Month, the legendary conservationist was honored along with last year’s 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, with the world premiere of the documentary, “Jane Goodall: The Hope,” which aired on many platforms including Nat Geo, Disney +, and Hulu.
The scientist turned global advocate for good is an impressive human and one of the most influential women of our time. I say if you’re ever in doubt . . . Be Like Jane . . . And follow the hope.
