Jane Goodall with some of her students. by Nora Palmtag
Dr. Jane Goodall is many things to many people: primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, UN Messenger of Peace, and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, dedicated to animal welfare issues. But she is best known for her 45-year study in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania on the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees. She is considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees.
The evening started with Dr. Joe Bowersox, the Dempsey Chair in Environmental Policy and Politics and director of the Center for Sustainable Communities at Willamette University, introducing university president Stephen Thorsett, who had the distinctive pleasure of introducing Dr. Jane to the audience.Dr. Jane, as she is known by her students around the world, immediately captured the audience’s attention by inviting all her kids from Roots & Shoots (a youth oriented community service program) and JGEMS (The Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School) to help her do the chimp call she had shown them.
She is always teaching, no matter what she is saying. She reminded the kids that she was afraid to speak in front of large audiences sometimes. Always have notes with you, you may not need them or use them but it will help your speech go better.
The chimps that she studied help to prove that they are intelligent, using tools and farming, with distinctive personalities, feelings and emotions, just like man. Their behavior has proven time and again that they are worth saving and we are arrogant if we do not see this.
Talking about the Chimps and how the environment has changed from when she first went to Africa, she was shocked when she went back a few years ago and the forest has been decimated and no new-growth had been done and the human encroachment was extraordinary. The people, who were encroaching on that environment, could not be blamed as they had not other recourse, according to Dr. Jane. She finally found private funding through an American businessman to start reforestation and get adequate care for the displaced people.
One of the great things she continually expressed was the thanks to her mother who supported her in her work and even went to Africa with her as the government there would not let an unaccompanied young woman go off into the mountains without an escort. Her mother went with her for the 6 months so that she could study the chimps in their environment. She kept stressing this cooperation, support, encouragement, love and commitment from her family, which enabled her to do her lifework with the chimps. Her son, Hugo Eric Louis (Grub), still lives in the little guest house in Tanzania next to Dr. Jane’s house on the shore of the Indian Ocean.
“Roots & Shoots” is a program that Goodall founded in Tanzania in 1991, with a small group of students.
According to ”Roots & Shoots” the goal is “about making positive change happen–for people, for animals, and for the environment. Through service-learning projects, meaningful youth-led campaigns, and a powerful, interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference across the globe.” Mandy Rude, a volunteer and student at Willamette University, remarked that it is refreshing to see young children at Roots & Shoots because it shows hope for the future of this country.
Zoe and David, 12-year-old students from the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School, who are both members of “Roots & Shoots” attended the meeting. Zoe, an extraordinary person, with her bubbly personality and a hair style with streaks of orange, is very into the environment.
Z0e and David explained that at the beginning of each year, all the students and their parents go on a field trip to Opal Creek. Quoted from the Opal Creek Website, “The 35,000 acre intact watershed, spanning ridge top to ridge top, that surrounds Jawbone Flats is one of the last remnants of the forests that once blanketed the entire western slope of the Cascades. Jawbone Flats provides the perfect context to get away from the distractions of everyday life and to connect with the ancient forest.” The children stated that they take field trips to the different places, where they want to study the environment, like the Aleutian Islands. They also adopt an animal, and then travel to the animal’s endangered location to help save it.
At the end of the talk by Dr. Jane Goodall, there was a huge line-up of children waiting to ask questions. There were several children of different backgrounds and nationalities, so inquisitive and unafraid to step up and ask their questions. Take for example, Eddy, a very lively 8-year-old in the audience, interested in the world around her, whose parents brought her to see Goodall to learn more about how to save the environment.
Dr. Goodall had spent the day before with these children from her namesake school and had inspired them so much. They were so animated and intelligent. If she ever comes to town again, please take the time to buy a ticket (to save the environment or help Dr. Jane save it) and have a good time which is well worth it. A fun evening was had by all!
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