Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute  & UN Messenger of Peace  

Jane Goodall was born in London, UK on 3rd April 1934.  Following a meeting with palaeontologist Dr. Louis Leakey in Kenya she had the opportunity to travel to Gombe in western Tanzania to study a group of wild chimpanzees and today, nearly 60 years later that study still continues.    Her early discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools helped redefine the relationship between man and other animals.  

In 1977 she established the Jane Goodall Institute to advance her work.  Today JGI continues the field research at Gombe and builds on Dr. Goodall’s innovative approach to conservation, recognizing the key role that local communities must play.  In 1991 Dr. Goodall founded Roots & Shoots in Dar es Salaam with 12 high school students.  Today more than 32 years later Roots & Shoots has become a global programme empowering young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects for the community, animals and the environment and is active in more than 65 countries.

Today Dr. Goodall travels the world speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, environmental crises and her reasons for hope.  Dr Goodall is author of many books and features in countless films and videos.  The recipient of many awards,  Dr. Goodall’s work emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the role each one of us plays on a daily basis.