Dr. Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, said at a public lecture on November 23 at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, that she has hope for the future of our planet, despite the destruction inflicted by humanity on nature. She added that all of us have to play a part because even the smallest contributions can make a difference.
“My main reason for hope is our young people and the resilience of nature. Given a chance, time, and perhaps some help, places we have completely destroyed can recover. This is happening in Malaysia and all around the world.
“Another reason for hope is our intellect, which we’re beginning to use to find ways to live in greater harmony with nature.
Finally, there’s the indomitable human spirit — those who tackle the impossible and refuse to give up, often succeeding.”
A young scientist
At the tender age of four, Goodall found herself in bustling London, a place where encounters with animals were rare. Yet, her journey into the wonders of nature began when her mother gifted her a visit to a countryside farm.
There, amidst fields alive with cows and pigs and a farmyard bustling with chickens, young Jane was entrusted with the task of collecting hens’ eggs.
She said: “I remember the little hen houses. Around the edge were small nest boxes, and I would open each one. If there was an egg, I put it in my basket.
“I began to wonder, where is the hole on the hen that’s big enough for the egg to come out? I couldn’t see such a hole, and nobody told me.
“I went into an empty hen house and waited, and waited, and waited. Apparently, I was gone for four whole hours, and my family had no idea where I was.”
When Goodall’s mother saw her rushing toward the farmhouse, covered in straw, she could have reacted with frustration. Instead, she chose to see the excitement in her daughter’s shining eyes and took the time to listen to her adventure.
“I share this story because it illustrates the making of a young scientist: curiosity, asking questions, seeking answers, deciding to find out for yourself, making mistakes, not giving up, and learning patience. A different kind of mother might have crushed that early scientific curiosity, and I might not be here tonight.”
Dreams do come true
Since she was 10 years old, Goodall has dreamed of moving to Africa, living with wild animals, and writing books about them when she grows up. “Everyone laughed, asking how I would do that without money, which was true,” she said.
Her mother, however, did not share this sentiment. She encouraged her: “You’re going to have to work really hard, taking advantage of every opportunity. If you don’t give up, hopefully, you will find a way.”
And now, Goodall shares this message with young people worldwide.
Despite her outstanding academic performance, she was without the financial means to attend university. As a result, she was compelled to seek employment first. The family could only afford a secretarial course, which she found “boring”; her mother, again, instilled in her the principle of wholeheartedly committing to any task. Consequently, she became an adept secretary.
Later, a school friend, whose family had a farm in Kenya, invited Goodall to visit. Since it was hard to save money in London, Goodall left her secretarial job in London and went to the south coast of England and worked as a hotel waitress. In five months, she saved enough to travel to Kenya.
Working for Louis Leakey
At her friend’s suggestion, Goodall reached out to Louis Leakey, a Kenyan-British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist, hoping to learn more about animals. Little did she know, this call would transform her life forever.
At that moment, Leakey was looking to employ someone to study chimpanzees but chose not to reveal this detail right away. Instead, he proposed that Goodall worked for him as a secretary. With his co-researcher and wife Mary Leakey’s consent, Leakey dispatched her to Olduvai Gorge, where he stated his intentions.
But securing enough funding for the research was a problem
“For four whole months, the chimpanzees vanished into the forest the moment they saw me. I was beginning to get desperate because I only had funds for six months. I knew that if I had time I could earn the chimpanzees’ trust, but did I have enough time? Goodall said.
“Amazingly, with just two months left, one chimpanzee began to lose his fear. He had lovely silver hair on his chin, so I named him David Greybeard.
“I saw him sitting on a termite mound breaking off grass stems, pushing them into burrows, and picking off termites. He even broke off leafy twigs, carefully stripping the leaves to make tools.
“Today, this wouldn’t surprise anyone, as we know many animals use tools, but back then, Western science believed only humans made and used tools, describing us as man, the tool maker.”
This observation of the chimpanzees was exceptionally significant, leading National Geographic to agree to fund Goodall’s research, thereby enabling her continued work.
“With this assurance in place, I was able to feel at ease. Thanks to David Greybeard, I began to know other chimpanzees. His calm demeanor seemed to reassure the others that I wasn’t frightening. I got to know his best friend, the top-ranking male Goliath, as well as Humphrey, Mr. McGregor, Old Flo and her family.
“I came to see them as unique individuals, each as different from one another as we are.”
Reasons for hope public lecture.
Paradigms are meant to be challenged
Goodall was sent by Leakey to Cambridge University for further studies. Reflecting on her experience, she recounted that the professors said she had approached her research incorrectly.
They advised that chimpanzees should be identified by numbers rather than names and cautioned against attributing personalities, minds, or emotions to them — traits considered exclusive to humans. They also emphasized the importance of maintaining objectivity and refraining from empathizing with the subjects in order to uphold scientific rigor.
“Fortunately, as a child, I had a wonderful teacher who taught me that what these professors were saying was rubbish — it was wrong. I knew it, but I didn’t confront the professors.”
After earning her PhD, she went on to Gombe Stream National Park and established a small research station.
“Those were the best days of my life. I was often with the chimpanzees, learning more about them, but I was also in the rainforest, discovering the amazing ecosystem where every plant and animal has a role to play and where they’re all interconnected. I developed a strong spiritual connection with the natural world and thought I could stay there forever.”
Make a difference
In the mid-1980s, Goodall noticed deforestation in Africa and declining chimpanzee numbers. Unsure of how to help, she visited six other study sites to understand challenges like the bushmeat trade and habitat destruction.
Flying over Gombe National Park, she saw it was now a forest island amid bare hills with impoverished people struggling for survival by cutting trees for charcoal or farming land.
“And that’s hit me.”
Realizing that sustainable solutions were needed, Goodall started the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI)’s TACARE program. Instead of outsiders imposing solutions, local African villagers were consulted about their needs: restoring land fertility without chemicals and improving health and education.
JGI introduced water management programs, scholarships for girls’ education, and microfinance initiatives based on Muhammad Yunus’s Grameen Bank model. These efforts empowered villagers to create sustainable businesses successfully.
JGI also introduced technology like GIS and GPS satellite imagery for land use management and forest health checks in all 104 villages in Tanzania, many are outside Gombe National Park.
Villagers monitored their forest’s health and took pride in it, realizing that environmental conservation benefits their future too, not just wildlife. This program now extends to six other African countries where JGI studies chimpanzees and alleviates poverty.
Plant the seed of hope
By the early 90s, Goodall was traveling globally to raise awareness about Africa’s environmental issues and impacts. She talked about how fossil fuel burning led to greenhouse gases like CO2, causing climate change and global warming.
“In southern England, we’ve lost over 75 percent of insects and nearly half the bird species — a trend mirrored worldwide. Industrial agriculture uses harmful pesticides and fertilizers, destroying vital soil. Animal agriculture is cruel; it clears vast lands for grain, wastes water to convert plants into animal protein, and cattle produce methane — a potent greenhouse gas.
“I recognized the need to alleviate poverty since people destroy environments just to survive. Overconsumption in wealthier societies strains natural resources. Coupled with discrimination and conflict, these challenges demand action.
“Humans are intellectual yet self-destructive — we’re part of nature but harm it while relying on a healthy ecosystem for survival. Each extinct species weakens this system; too many losses could collapse it entirely.”
Goodall has met young people losing hope, feeling that they couldn’t stop environmental destruction. This led her to start the JGI’s Roots and Shoots program in 1991, focusing on humanitarian and environmental efforts for young people.
“Without hope, apathy sets in, leading to inaction. We need to find hope to support them. When young people understand the problems and are empowered to take action, they change the world. It’s not that they can; they are.”
All photos credit: Annjil Chong
Top photo: Dr. Jane Goodall at a public lecture on November 23 at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.
