Biography JANE GOODALL, PH.D., DBE
Founder the Jane Goodall Institute
UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London England. At the young age of 26, she followed her passion for animals and Africa to Gombe, Tanzania, where she began her landmark study of chimpanzees in the wild immersing herself in their habitat as a neighbor rather than a distant observer. Her discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific world and redefined the relationship between humans and animals. In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to advance her work around the world and for generations to come. JGI continues the field research at Gombe and builds on Dr. Goodall innovative approach to conservation, which recognizes the central role that people play in the well-being of animals and the environment. In 1991, she founded Roots & Shoots, a global program that guides young people in nearly 100 countries in becoming conservation activists and leaders in their daily lives.
Today, Dr. Goodall travels the world talking about the threats facing chimpanzees, environmental crises and her reasons for hope. In her speeches and books, she emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the collective power of individual action, urging her audiences to recognize their personal responsibility and ability to effect change. Every individual matters, she says. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. Her eloquent ability to raise public awareness and understanding has become instrumental in her work to save chimpanzees from extinction. Dr. Goodall is the recipient of many honors including the Medal of Tanzania, the National Geographic Society Hubbard Medal, Japan prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, among others. In April 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In a 2004 ceremony at Buckingham Palace, she became a Dame Commander of the British Empire. In 2006, she received France highest honor, the Legion of Honor. For more information, please visit www.janegoodall.org.