,Jane Goodall

"I went to this conference as a scientist and left it as an activist," Jane Goodall explained in front of 1,100 people in Vienna. A conference that was to change her life and that of many others. Dr. Jane Goodall is one of the most famous conservationists of our century, her incredible perseverance and the consistency with which she follows her path make her extraordinary. At the age of 85, she still stands in front of audiences for hours on end, because it is her calling to give us hope.

The activist and behavioral scientist was a guest in Vienna on 10.9.2019. Immerse yourself with us in the story of Jane Goodall and find out the 4 reasons why she will never give up.

Jane Goodall was born in London in 1934 with a love of nature. As soon as she could read, she soaked up information about animals like a sponge. She bought a second-hand copy of "Tarzan of the Apes" with money she had saved. This book was to shape her entire career, as she fell head over heels in love with the young king who, to her regret and envy, married the wrong Jane. This literary tale formed in her the desire to go to Africa, live with wild animals and write books about them. Everyone around her advised her to choose a realizable dream, because she was only a little girl and the Second World War was raging. But her mother said to her: "If you really want to do something like that, then you have to work damn hard. Take every opportunity you get, but don't give up!" ("If you really want to do something like this, you gonna have to work awfully hard. Take advantage of every opportunity, but don't give up.")

Well, she did! Because 75 years later, we all know that she fulfilled her dream. At the age of 23, Jane Goodall travelled by ship to Kenya, where she secured a secretarial position with Dr. Louis Leakey, curator of the Natural History Museum. He was enthusiastic about the curious woman and was to become her mentor. He sent her into the forest in Gombe, Tanzania, to observe chimpanzees. After her breakthrough - discovering that chimpanzees use tools like humans - he got her a place at Cambridge, where she completed her doctorate.

Jane Goodall developed an unspeakable love for her study subjects, the chimpanzees. Completely unconventional for those times, she gave them names and recognized their emotions. The rainforest surrounding her completely absorbed her. She realized that all living beings are related, that every species, no matter how inconspicuous, has its purpose. She felt the great energetic power of nature ("great spirit of power").

But in 1986, the all-changing conference on the ethical treatment of animals took place in Chicago. There she became so aware of the threat to her beloved chimpanzees that she left the conference as an activist. For her, it meant leaving her happy place behind and going out into the world. Since then, she has fought tirelessly to preserve the diversity of nature, with great success. She achieves these successes by giving people the tools themselves. In small villages in Africa, she asked people how their lives could be improved. Residents received training on how to farm better so that chimpanzee hunting and deforestation were no longer necessary. Young people approached them of their own accord because they wanted to join in. A movement called Roots & Shoots was born, which set up nature and environmental protection projects. Today, there are institutes around the world that carry on Jane Goodall's message.

And yet Jane Goodall is not retiring. There was a hush in the room and a sense of shock in the air when she addressed us with the following words.

We can't compare the brain of the smartest chimpanzee with the brain that designed a rocket that flew to Mars to take photos. When we look at these photos, I'm sure we can all agree that we wouldn't want to live on Mars.

How is it possible that the most intellectual being ever to populate the earth is destroying its only home?
It seems to me that this clever brain is disconnected from the human heart, love and passion.
Instead of thinking about how our actions will affect our children, we think about how they will change our careers. Our lives are increasingly cut off from the natural world - of which we are a part!

But then she turned the heaviness in our hearts into lightness, full of confidence she looked into the crowd that listened to her spellbound and proclaimed 4 reasons why she has hope despite these dark times.

1. Wherever she goes, she meets young people who tell her about their deeds and actions that make the world a better place. The Roots & Shoots movement has now been taken up in over 40 countries.
2. The human brain! Jane Goodall has faith in human intelligence. She observes how the brain is beginning to respond to today's challenges. More and more technologies are enabling us to live better and more sustainably. Brains are being used to question how a product was made, to make ethical choices, to consciously decide against eating meat.
3. The resilience of nature! The resilience of nature, the ability to reclaim lost land. Gombe National Park had been reduced to a small area surrounded by barren hills. Today, young forests are growing there again and the chimpanzees are being given more space. When nature has the opportunity, it recovers quickly.
4. The indomitable human spirit - All over the world, there are people who work tirelessly and unwaveringly for the common good. People who master seemingly unsolvable tasks and never give up. And not just some people, animals can also possess this indomitable will.

(Note: Jane Goodall often mentions a fifth reason, namely the power of social media. However, she did not mention this point on this evening).

If Jane Goodall can stand for an hour at the age of 85 to mobilize, inspire and motivate 1,100 people, why shouldn't we be able to do the same? Jane Goodall is convinced that together we can bring about change. "But will we?" She asks us all, will we?

She had no doubts and immediately had an answer ready, which is why she asked everyone in the room to say the following words together. And when spoken aloud, the words developed a special power, heart and brain were reunited.

Talk to us about them:

Yes, we can and yes, we will!

Author: Dr. Isabell Riedl

Dr. Isabell Riedl has been with LAMPERT since 2012, where she heads the sustainability and communications department. She studied ecology at the University of Vienna, specializing in nature and landscape conservation and tropical ecology. She wrote her dissertation on the importance of tree rows in agricultural areas for forest birds in Costa Rica. Throughout her life, she has been particularly committed to ecological sustainability. She is part of the editorial team of the online magazine "Nachhaltigkeit. Neu denken." (Rethinking Sustainability).