Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, is a world-renowned ethologist and activist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world. Dr. Goodall is known for groundbreaking studies of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, transformative research which continues today as the longest running wild chimpanzee study in the world.  

At 26, Jane followed her passion for wildlife and Africa to Gombe, Tanzania. There, under the mentorship of paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey, she began her landmark study of wild chimpanzees. Her revelatory observation that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific landscape and forever redefined our understanding of the relationship between humans and other animals.    

Jane’s work builds on innovative science, growing a lifetime of advocacy particularly through her global organization the Jane Goodall Institute, founded in 1977. Her trailblazing efforts advance community-led conservation through JGI’s Tacare approach which empowers local communities to own the process of sustainable development and conservation, and through Roots & Shoots, JGI’s international youth program which supports young people in more than 60 countries to create positive change in their communities.

Today, Jane continues to connect with worldwide audiences, despite the challenges of the pandemic, through ‘Virtual Jane’ including remote lectures, recordings, and her podcast, the “Jane Goodall Hopecast.” In 2021, Jane was the recipient of the Templeton Prize, and published her newest book, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times.”

Jane is truly a global icon spreading hope and turning it into meaningful positive impact to create a better world for people, other animals, and the planet we share.