Dr. Jane Goodall: A Hero for Animals and Our Planet
Images: ABC News, BBC, The Guardian
Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away on October 1, 2025, at 91, was a scientist, activist, and dreamer who changed how we see animals and our world. Her life shows us that one person can make a huge difference—a message that inspires us all to take action, whether it’s protecting Australia’s wildlife or fighting climate change.
Jane was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. As a child, she loved animals, playing with her dog Rusty and a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. She dreamed of living with animals in Africa. Without money for university, she worked hard, saved up, and at 23 sailed to Kenya in 1957. There, she met scientist Louis Leakey, who sent her to Gombe, Tanzania, in 1960 to study chimpanzees. At just 26, with only a notebook and binoculars, she began her adventure.
Jane didn’t study chimps like other scientists. She got close, gave them names like David Greybeard, and saw them as individuals with feelings. She discovered chimps use tools (like twigs to catch termites), hunt together, and show love with hugs—things we thought only humans did. Her work, shared in books like In the Shadow of Man (1971), amazed the world and inspired women to become scientists. She earned a PhD from Cambridge in 1966 without a bachelor’s degree, proving passion beats obstacles.
In the late 70s, Jane saw forests disappearing and knew she had to act. She started the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977 to protect chimps and their homes. Her TACARE program helped Tanzanian villages plant trees and build better lives, showing people and nature thrive together. In 1991, she launched Roots & Shoots with kids in Tanzania, now in 100+ countries, including Australia, where young people work on projects for animals and the environment. She fought for chimps, starting sanctuaries like Tchimpounga and helping make them endangered in the U.S. in 2015.
Jane traveled over 300 days a year, sharing hope until her 90s. She won awards like the UN Messenger of Peace (2002) and the 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom. Married twice—to photographer Hugo van Lawick (1964–1974, with son “Grub”) and park director Derek Bryceson (1975–1980)—she balanced family and mission. Her 40+ books and films, like Harvest for Hope, mixed science with stories, and her warm, playful spirit (carrying her plush chimp “Mr. H”) won hearts.
Her words inspire us still:
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” [5]
Try recycling or planting a tree—it counts!
“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” [5]
Speak up for Australia’s koalas or coral reefs.
“Every individual matters. Every individual makes a difference.” [6]
Your small actions, like joining a clean-up, add up.
Jane’s 60-year study in Gombe—the longest ever—showed chimps are like us, changing how we care for animals. Her “hope” was about doing, not wishing. Facing Australia’s bushfires and wildlife loss, her life says: start now. Jane proved one person matters. What’s your step?
In memory of Dr. Jane Goodall, 1934–2025.
References
[1] Jane Goodall Institute, https://janegoodall.org/our-story/about-jane/
[2] Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall
[3] National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/jane-goodall/
[4] Academy of Achievement, https://achievement.org/achiever/jane-goodall/
[5] Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/18163.Jane_Goodall
[6] Good Good Good, https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/jane-goodall-quotes