Dr. Jane Goodall is an English anthropologist and biologist specializing in enthology and primatology. She is best known for her chimpanzee research. Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace.
Jane Goodall left England in 1960 at the age of 26 to study the virtually unknown chimpanzees on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania. She had little more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars with her.
Jane's research in Tanzania became groundbreaking and would become much more successful than anyone could have imagined. With her patience, perseverance and characteristic optimism, she managed to gain the trust of the chimpanzees and gained access to the world of these endearing, sometimes strange but recognizable creatures. Through her research, people worldwide became fascinated by this animal species most closely related to humans.
In 1986 there was a turning point in her life. During a conference she heard about the rapidly declining chimpanzee populations in Africa and from a plane on her way to Gombe she saw how the habitat of chimpanzees had been cut away in a short time. She decides to leave her beloved Gombe to educate worldwide about the protection of the fragile nature on our planet.
Today, Jane Goodall still travels the world 300 days a year, lecturing to sold-out audiences. She makes the public aware of the threats to nature and captivates her audience with inspiring stories and her wealth of experiences. Time and again she encourages people to do their part to make the world a better place.
Roots & Shoots, which started in Jane Goodall in 1991 with a group of Tanzanian students, has also grown into a worldwide network of almost 150,000 young people in more than 130 countries.
