A tribute to Dame Jane Goodall: A Life of Wonder, Wisdom & Action

When our world loses a figure like Dame Jane Goodall, her huge presence will be sorely missed. Her life’s journey—from a young girl with a passion for animals to the world’s most celebrated primatologist and conservationist—is a story of courage, curiosity, and relentless hope.

Early Years & The Spark of Curiosity

Born on 3 April 1934 in Bournemouth, England, Jane Goodall nurtured a fascination for animals and nature from an early age. Despite not having the means to attend university initially, she nurtured her dream of going to Africa, working odd jobs, and saving every penny for that journey.

Her big break came when she met anthropologist Louis Leakey in Nairobi, who saw in her the promise of naturalistic, immersive fieldwork—and sent her to Gombe Stream in Tanzania to study chimpanzees.

The Gombe Years & Transforming Science

In Gombe, Goodall controversially went against conventional scientific practice: she preferred to observe personally, name chimps (rather than assign numbers), and seek to understand them as individuals with emotions, personalities, and social complexity. Her groundbreaking discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools—once believed to be a uniquely human trait—challenged long-held assumptions about the boundary between humans and other animals.

Over decades, her research has enriched our understanding of chimpanzee social lives, kinship, conflict, compassion, and much more. She also witnessed threats: habitat loss, poaching, disease, and pressures on chimp populations. These growing dangers spurred her to expand her mission from pure science to conservation and activism.

From Scientist to Global Advocate

In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, with the ambition of combining scientific work with grassroots conservation, community engagement, and environmental education.

She also launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-centered global program encouraging young people to act locally for people, animals, and the environment.

Throughout her life, she traveled extensively—speaking, teaching, inspiring—and never stopped advocating for compassion, sustainable living, and respect for the natural world.

She was honored widely—Knighted as a Dame (Dame Commander of the British Empire), recipient of numerous scientific and humanitarian awards, and recognized globally as a voice for animals and the planet.

One of the most famous videos that struck us was when the chimpanzee who had been rehabilitated turned to Jane and embraced her in a hug. A poignant and signficant moment for humanity.

Her Final Message: The Last Interview

Earlier in 2025 (in March), Goodall sat for a deeply personal interview with Brad Falchuk, under conditions that the recording would only be released after her death, as part of Netflix’s series Famous Last Words.

At the end of the recording, after the host left the stage, she addressed the camera directly. This becomes her last public message to humanity. Below is a portion of what she said, in her own words:

“In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. I look back at the world I’ve left behind. What message do I want to leave? I want to make sure that you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play. You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters, and you are here for a reason. And I just hope that reason will become apparent as you live through your life. I want you to know that, whether or not you find that role that you’re supposed to play, your life does matter, and that every single day you live, you make a difference in the world. And you get to choose the difference that you make.

“I want you to understand that we are part of the natural world. And even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope. Don’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world — if you want to save the planet for the future generations, your grandchildren, their grandchildren — then think about the actions you take each day. Because, multiplied a million, a billion times, even small actions will make for great change.

“I want to — I just hope that you understand that this life on Planet Earth isn’t the end. I believe, and now I know, that there is life beyond death. That consciousness survives.

“I can’t tell you, from where I am, secrets that are not mine to share. I can’t tell you what you will find when you leave Planet Earth. But I want you to know that your life on Planet Earth will make some difference in the kind of life you find after you die.

“Above all, I want you to think about the fact that we are part — when we’re on Planet Earth — we are part of Mother Nature. We depend on Mother Nature for clean air, for water, for food, for clothing, for everything. And as we destroy one ecosystem after another, as we create worse climate change, worse loss of diversity, we have to do everything in our power to make the world a better place for the children alive today, and for those that will follow.

“You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up. There is a future for you. Do your best while you’re still on this beautiful Planet Earth that I look down upon from where I am now. God bless you all.”

Her words are humble, yet impassioned; personal, yet universal. They echo her lifelong conviction: we each have a part to play—and that even small acts, multiplied across millions or billions, can shift the course of our collective future.

References:

Forbes

Netflix

Jane Goodall Institute USA