02/10/2025
An exquisite artistic tribute by for the magnificent human being -Dr Jane Goodall who ran and finished her good race earth-side today at 91 years of age.
🐒A lover of animals from childhood , especially wild ones - but without the funds to attend University and pursue an academic path - a young Jane only managed to travel to Kenya upon a friend’s invitation after scraping up funds to travel to Africa by boat .
It was here, Jane had a fortuitous meeting with the anthropologist Louis Leakey and his wife the archaeologist Mary Leakey and this meeting led to Jane helping to the establish the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve .
Ultimately Jane achieved her goal of living amongst the wild animals , only stopping to undertake a PhD at Cambridge.
🐒Dr Goodall’s life was one of committed passion for primates and the planet . She was revolutionary in her approach to primates in her observations and connection with them….
🐒By amplifying the relational aspects of primates and helping others to see them as unique personalities with qualities and characteristics that were endearing and engendered respect - she changed the way we saw animals in the wild and ultimately the way we see ourselves and what constitutes being “ human.”
🐒Previously animal research only saw animals as numbers and data. Dr Goodall gave them names and identities .
🐒Dr Goodall also invited the public to experience a more intimate understanding of the lives of these animals - collaborating with National Geographic to document their lives through media .
🐒Out of this deep care and respect for the animals , grew her awareness that we must save the habitats of these animals and therefore our focus must be on preservation of the planet - our shared home.
🐒Dr Goodall had an unwavering belief in the resilience of the planet and believed that humans would find a way to help find solutions to the current environmental challenges.
🐒With her passing ( still on the speaking circuit no less - at 91 !) her words continue to call us to action :
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what difference you want to make.”
