In Memory of Jane Goodall

So many of us were deeply affected upon hearing of Jane Goodall's passing last week. Her grace and dedication were abundant, and she was one of the foundational pillars many of us depended on for Strength and Hope.
       
I was 10 years old and in 5th grade when I first heard her name. My history teacher, the inestimable Lynn Bendann, introduced us to her and her work as the very first lesson in our World History class. We didn't begin with wars or migrations or even prehistoric peoples. We began with the animals and discussions that stemmed from a global evolutionary perspective. I think most of my classmates didn't know what to make of it, but I lapped it up. Every day we watched filmstrips of Jane interacting with the chimps, learning about them–learning from them. I watched other students roll their eyes and snicker as our teacher pointed out the compassion and emotion expressed by the chimpanzees, in relation to each other and to Jane. I learned more during that time than I would learn in years of study later on, by looking into the eyes of those soulful fellow members of our Living Earth Community. 

I am far from unique. She deeply touched millions of lives, human and more-than-human. Her groundbreaking work and the gentle loving manner in which she conducted it, changed the way we see animals–including ourselves–forever. 

There have been countless tributes to her and her work published in the last week. Here are a few of the highlights:

• The Jane Goodall Institute: “Remembering Jane”
• Sierra Club: “'Together We Can Change the World' A Tribute to Jane Goodall”
• The OnBeing Project: “Jane Goodall, In Memoriam: What it Means to be Human” (includes a transcript and audio of Krista Tippet's 2020 interview with Jane)
• The Guardian “Dame Jane Goodall Obituary“ 
• Nature: “Jane Goodall obituary: pioneer primatologist who inspired generations of scientists”
• New York Times: “Jane Goodall, who chronicled the lives of chimps, dies at 91”

But the voice that touches me most at this time is her own. Earlier this year, she recorded a special titled Famous Last Words to be released after her death, that is now available in its entirety on Netflix. Excerpts from it are available for free on YouTube, including the one below. This was the message she wanted to leave for the world after she was gone–the message she wanted us to hear: