Dr. Jane Goodall's Early Life
Source: MEGADr.
Jane Goodall left a lasting legacy following her death on October 1.
Dr. Jane Goodall will be remembered for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and her advocacy efforts.
Born in Bournemouth, England, on April 3, 1934, the famous animal welfare activist had always been passionate about wildlife. Their family also had pets, including a dog named Rusty, a pony and a tortoise.
Dr. Jane Goodall's Love for Animals and Africa
Source: MEGADr.
Jane Goodall died at the age of 91.
After reading the Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle series when she was about 8 years old, Goodall began dreaming of traveling to Africa and learning more about animals.
She attended Uplands School in nearby Poole but was unable to afford college. After going to a secretarial school in South Kensington, Goodall took on a few jobs and saved money to visit a friend outside Nairobi, Kenya. She traveled in March 1957, when she was 23 years old.
Goodall soon met paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey, who employed her as a secretary at the National Museum in Nairobi.
How Dr. Jane Goodall Began Studying Chimpanzees
Source: MEGAHer work at the local natural history museum opened doors for her to study wild chimpanzees.
Goodall began her work with Leakey and his wife, Mary, at the Olduvai Gorge. After witnessing her passion for animals and nature, the paleoanthropologist asked her to study wild chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream National Park."Looking back, Jane always said she'd have 'studied any animal' but felt extremely lucky to have been given the chance to study man's closest living relative in the wild," the description on Goodall's website reads.
Dr. Jane Goodall's Work at Gombe Stream National Park
Source: MEGADr.
Louis Leakey thought Dr. Jane Goodall could study chimpanzees without bias.
Goodall returned home in December 1958, while Leakey set plans in motion for her expedition.
According to National Geographic, Goodall prepared herself by working at Granada Television's film library and studying the behavior of primates during her free time.
After Leakey obtained permits and funding from the Wilkie Brothers Foundation, Goodall set sail and arrived in Gombe on July 14, 1960. In the initial weeks of her stay, she faced challenges - including developing a fever - but managed to begin her study afterward.
During her time in Gombe, Goodall uncovered the groundbreaking findings, revealing that chimpanzees are omnivores and capable of using tools.
While still working in the field, Leakey helped her enroll in a doctoral program despite not having an undergraduate degree. She went on to study for a PhD in Ethology at Newnham College, Cambridge, and completed her doctoral thesis, The Behaviour of Free-living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve, in 1965.
Goodall earned her PhD on February 9, 1966.
Dr. Jane Goodall as a Conservationist and Activist
Source: MEGADr.
Jane Goodall continued to work in Gombe after obtaining a PhD.
In addition to her work as a scientist and ethologist, Goodall expanded her work as a conservationist and activist after attending a primatology conference in 1986."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," the About page on the Jane Goodall Institute's website shares. "Through nearly 60 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."
Dr. Jane Goodall Founded Different Programs and Organizations
Source: MEGADr.
Jane Goodall received recognition for her work.
While protecting the chimpanzees, Goodall began raising awareness by establishing organizations and launching programs.
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), initially to support the research at Gombe Stream National Park. The organization has continued to grow in recent years, with a total of 25 JGI offices operating diverse global initiatives.
She then established JGI's Roots & Shoots, a global humanitarian and environmental program for young people, in 1991.
In 2017, Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation."I have launched the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation in order to create an endowment that will enable the programmes I have developed to continue, and new ones to be initiated, so that the fight to make a better world for people, animals and the environment may carry on beyond my lifetime," she said.
Reason for Hope Gala 2006
Source: MEGADr.
Jane Goodall was one of the world's experts on chimpanzees.
In 2006, Goodall attended the Reason fo