In memory of Jane Goodall
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.”
Jane Goodall (1934-2025) was one of the first female scientists and conservationists. She was, and remains, an inspiration to many across the globe for her gentle yet determined energy and her ability to spark curiosity in, and compassion for, the world around us.
As a young woman, Jane believed in her dreams and did everything it took to achieve her goals. Despite setbacks, including financial hardship and a period of illness upon her arrival in South Africa, her pioneering work has now inspired a worldwide movement. Her philosophy has changed how we see the world, inspiring us to do what we can to protect the animals we share it with.
Jane’s background: Believing in her dreams
Born in the UK in 1934, Jane showed an interest and love of nature and animals from childhood. With one of her favourite stories being ‘Tarzan’, Jane had a dream of travelling to Africa and working with animals. Jane saved everything she earned from various jobs so that she could someday achieve her goals.
Appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Jane famously said: “What did Tarzan do? He married the wrong Jane”. Listening to Dr Goodall discuss her work and the animals she had spent time with in South Africa, you could clearly hear the true passion in her gentle voice.
Jane’s work with Chimpanzees: Pioneering a new perspective.
Aged 26, Jane travelled to Africa and worked with Gombe National park in Tanzania, where her work began in studying the behaviour of wild chimpanzees. Working as a scientist and later within conservation, Jane’s commitment and dedication had a direct impact on improving the conditions for primates. She worked tirelessly to protect the chimpanzees and their habitats.
Jane did not only study these animals from an academic perspective, she fully immersed herself in the environment in which the chimpanzees lived, observing first hand their behaviours and habits. Her work also pioneered a change in attitudes and approaches towards human-animal interactions. Her observations of Chimpanzee behaviour revealed that these animals have the ability to make tools, and to utilise them, for example. Jane also worked to improve the lives of captive species and animals used in the field of medical research.
Jane Goodall wrote and published several books including In the Shadow of Man and The Book of Hope. The second offers a pathway to optimism during the climate crisis we continue to face, providing the reader with reasons to remain hopeful in this challenging world that is constantly under threat.
Even into her nineties, Jane continued to travel and to work, never losing her desire to create a change not only for the chimpanzees and other animals she loved so much, but also to inspire new perspectives, approaches and compassion towards our natural world. We need to care, we need to change, we need to take action.
Inspiring a compassionate global movement.
Over the years, Dr Goodall inspired numerous people around the globe to care about the planet we live on and to take steps towards helping protect the wildlife we share it with. She founded the organisation Roots&Shoots which aims to educate young people and to empower them to take action in areas such as climate change and wildlife protection, in addition to humanitarian challenges faced by society.
Roots&Shoots state that their aim is to ‘Instil kindness and respect towards all life’. This seed was planted during Jane’s early work amongst chimpanzees and has continued to grow and flourish throughout her life until her death in 2025.
Jane is mostly renowned for her work with Chimpanzees in South Africa, however her work in other areas has had just as big an impact. She has inspired generations to work together, taking steps towards a better future for our planet, from sustainability and ecosystem health to taking better care of our oceans.
Jane Goodall possessed a calm and gentle energy yet also the determination and resilience to make a difference to the world, inspiring thousands of people, both young and old, to care, to get involved and to take action towards a better future for our planet and the animals we share it with.
Inquisitive about the world around her and the behaviour of the primates she encountered,
studied and loved, Jane’s work shall never be forgotten and her legacy will live on.
Sources:
- ‘Jane Goodall’, http://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/janegoodall/
- ‘Dame Jane Goodall revolutionised our understanding of our closest primate cousins’: http://www.bbc.co.uk.
- http://janegoodall.org/our-story/aboutjane