Remembering Jane Goodall

On the 1st of October, 2025, the world lost a great environmentalist, humanitarian, and conservationist: Jane Goodall. Jane had spent more than six decades understanding and protecting the environment, and especially chimpanzees.

Jane was born in London, England on the 3rd of April 1934, and from a young age she was fascinated by all things wild. When she was four, she sat in a hen house for more than five hours waiting to see a hen lay an egg. Unbeknownst to Jane, her mom had been searching frantically for her, and had even called police to aid in the search for her. This adventure was the beginning of Jane’s lifelong passion for all living things.

In the 1960s Jane worked with a renowned anthropologist (anthropology: the study of human societies and cultures and their development), Louis Leaky. He encouraged her to pursue her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees. For several decades, Jane conducted a long-term research project at Gombe Stream National Park, in Tanzania. Through her research she discovered that chimpanzees use tools, have complex relationships, and hunt in groups. This lead scientists to understand that chimpanzees and humans have certain similarities.

In the 1970s Jane’s institute called The Jane Goodall Institute, founded a program called  Roots and ShootsI. This program was aimed for students and community driven projects to promote conservation. Roots and Shoots is currently active in more than 60 countries around the world. Perhaps International School Delft can get involved as well!

In the early 1980s, Jane decided to turn her focus from being a researcher to becoming an activist. She then spent the next 40 years working towards sharing a global message of hope.

Jane Goodall’s life and work will continue to inspire future generations to care for and protect the environment.

Please read Jane’s final words posted here below that were recorded for a Netflix documentary entitled ‘Famous Last Words’, and were released after her death. They hold power.

In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. I look back at the world I’ve left behind. What message do I want to leave? I want to make sure that you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play. You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters, and you are here for a reason.

And I just hope that reason will become apparent as you live through your life. I want you to know that, whether or not you find that role that you’re supposed to play, your life does matter, and that every single day you live, you make a difference in the world. And you get to choose the difference that you make.

I want you to understand that we are part of the natural world. And even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope. Don’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world – if you want to save the planet for the future generations, your grandchildren, their grandchildren – then think about the actions you take each day.

Because, multiplied a million, a billion times, even small actions will make for great change. I want to – I just hope that you understand that this life on Planet Earth isn’t the end. I believe, and now I know, that there is life beyond death. That consciousness survives.

I can’t tell you, from where I am, secrets that are not mine to share. I can’t tell you what you will find when you leave Planet Earth. But I want you to know that your life on Planet Earth will make some difference in the kind of life you find after you die.

Above all, I want you to think about the fact that we are part – when we’re on Planet Earth – we are part of Mother Nature. We depend on Mother Nature for clean air, for water, for food, for clothing, for everything. And as we destroy one ecosystem after another, as we create worse climate change, worse loss of diversity, we have to do everything in our power to make the world a better place for the children alive today, and for those that will follow.

You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up. There is a future for you. Do your best while you’re still on this beautiful Planet Earth that I look down upon from where I am now.

God bless you all.

Source: Netflix / Famous Last Words

Biography.com Editors. “Jane Goodall - Son, Documentary & Quotes.” Biography, 6 May 2021, www.biography.com/scientists/jane-goodall.

goodall, jane. “Roots & Shoots USA - Youth Movement of the Jane Goodall Institute.” Roots & Shoots, rootsandshoots.org/.

Lange, Riley. “Dr. Jane Goodall Leaves behind Her Last Words.” Jane Goodall, 3 Oct. 2025, janegoodall.ca/our-stories/dr-jane-goodall-leaves-behind-her-last-words/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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“Meet Jane.” Jane Goodall, janegoodall.ca/about/meet-jane/.