In July 1960, Jane Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Tanzania. Her work at Gombe Stream would become the foundation of future primatological research and redefine the relationship between humans and animals.
In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues the Gombe research and is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. The Institute is widely recognized for innovative, community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the global environmental and humanitarian youth program.
Dr. Goodall founded Roots & Shoots with a group of Tanzanian students in 1991. Today, Roots & Shoots is active in more than 60 countries and since its inception has greatly impacted participants of all ages in over 100 countries. All of whom take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.
For the past 30 years, Dr. Goodall has been speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises, and her reasons for hope that humankind will solve the problems it has imposed on the earth.
Dr. Goodall’s honors include the French Legion of Honor, the Medal of Tanzania, and Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize. In 2002, Dr. Goodall was appointed to serve as a United Nations Messenger of Peace and in 2003, she was named a Dame of the British Empire.
- Making a Difference: An Evening with Jane Goodall
- More than 50 years ago, a young Jane Goodall first set foot in what is today Tanzania's Gombe National Park. Little did she know at the time that she was about to embark on a groundbreaking chimpanzee behavioral study that would rock the scientific community and redefine our understanding of animals and, ultimately, ourselves. Likewise, she probably never imaged that she would one day leave Gombe and begin a quest to empower others to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment we all share.
- In her speech, Making a Difference, Dr. Goodall will first bring her audience into the world of the Gombe chimpanzees -- from her early observations and experiences to the latest news and stories from the field.
- Dr. Goodall will also share information about the work of the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues her pioneering research and celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It also is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa, and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, the Institute's global environmental and humanitarian youth program.
- In Making a Difference, Dr. Goodall will provide insight into the person behind the globe-trotting international icon: a UN Messenger of Peace, Dame of the British Empire, and the subject of countless articles and television programs around the world. She will also discuss the current threats facing the planet and her reasons for hope in these complex times, encouraging everyone in the audience to do their part to make a positive difference each and every day.