The Jane Goodall Institude

ABOUT JANE

In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.

Equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, Jane Goodall braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives. Through more than 50 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Jane Goodall has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment. Today she travels the world, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging each of us to take action on behalf of all living things and planet we share.

EARLY DISCOVERIES

When Jane Goodall entered the forest of Gombe, the world knew very little about chimpanzees, and even less about their unique genetic kinship to humans. She took an unorthodox approach in her field research, immersing herself in their habitat and their lives to experience their complex society as a neighbor rather than a distant observer and coming to understand them not only as a species, but also as individuals with emotions and long-term bonds. Dr. Jane Goodall’s discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools is considered one of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century scholarship. Her field research at Gombe transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and redefined the relationship between humans and animals in ways that continue to emanate around the world.

PROGRAM ADVOCACY

When Dr. Jane Goodall speaks, people listen. We use our voice as an organization to speak up on the issues that matter for the long-term well-being of humans, other animals and the planet we all share.

Dr. Goodall has long been an advocate for the dignity and well-being of all living things, and the Jane Goodall Institute shares her belief that speaking out on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves is our responsibility as fellow inhabitants of this shared earth. Environmental advocacy, animal welfare and human rights are just a few of the issues we are passionate about both by being thought leaders and influencers, and by bringing all voices into discussion rooms on topics that matter.

Policy That Protects and Leads to Progress

JGI promotes this ideology when we seek to affect the laws and policies that impact the lives of people, animals and the environment. Whether it be combatting the use of chimpanzees in the media, working to end the use of great apes as biomedical test subjects, protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, or speaking out in favor of legislature and coalitions we believe will have a positive impact on our planet- JGI takes action to make the world a better place by influencing the powerful systems which run it. While we have succeeded in many areas – there is more work to do. Change starts with passion, and our passion is only growing.

Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) global youth-led community action program, comprised of thousands of young people inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall to make the world a better place.

The program builds on the legacy and vision of Dr. Jane Goodall to place the power and resources for creating practical solutions to big challenges in the hands of the young people.

Using the Roots & Shoots 4-Step model, young people map their communities to identify local needs, prioritize their findings and implement a service campaign of their choice to make a difference for the issues they are most passionate about.

Africa in My Blood: An Autobiography in Letters : the Early Years

AFRICA IN MY BLOOD is an extraordinary self-portrait in letters of Jane Goodall’s early years, from childhood to the publication of IN THE SHADOW OF MAN, revealing this remarkable woman more vividly than anything published before, by her or about her. We see her at eleven founding the Alligator Society (“You have to be able to recognize 10 birds, 10 dogs, 10 trees and 5 butterflies OR moths”); at seventeen developing a crush on the local minister (“He has a beautiful long nose and he loves dogs”); at twenty punting at Oxford — and falling out of the boat (“And I stood in the water — up to my chest — and roared and roared with laughter”); at twenty-two working at a film company and saving for a trip to Africa.