At the forefront of Jane Goodall’s efforts was making the world a better place.
The world-renowned anthropologist and activist has died at the age of 91 from natural causes, the Jane Goodall Institute shared on Oct. 1.
The ethologist was known for her breakthrough research with chimpanzees back in the 1960s, a feat that she hoped would become her legacy.
During an April 3, 2024, appearance on the 3rd Hour of TODAY, which also happened to be her 90th birthday, Goodall shared how she hoped to be remembered long after she was gone.
“I would like my legacy to be a), the fact that because of the chimpanzee studies, science began to recognize animals like us have personalities, minds and emotions, right down from chimpanzees to elephants, dolphins, whales, to the octopus,” she said. “Secondly, starting the program for young people, Roots & Shoots, which is now in 70 countries around the world.”
Founded in 1991, Roots & Shoots’ motto is “Be Bold, Be Kind, Do Good,” according to its website. The organization aims to bring together younger people to empower them to use their voice on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues.
She echoed those sentiments in a TODAY.com interview in which she further elaborated on her work with the chimpanzees.
“When I first went to get my Ph.D., I was told only humans have personality, mind and emotion. And thanks to the chimpanzees being so biologically like us, that we share 98.7% of our DNA, science gradually came to admit we are not the only sentient sapien beings on the planet,” Goodall said. “So, now we know, (it’s) not just the apes and the monkeys, but the whales and the dolphins and the elephants and the lions and the crows and the parrots and other birds.”
Additionally, during her TODAY appearance, she also touched on what she believed was one of the most important messages she wanted to spread.
“The most important thing is for people to understand that every day we live on this planet, we make some impact,” she said, adding that we all have the ability to make better choices when it comes to our purchases: “This thing we’re buying, did it harm the environment when it was made? Was it cruel to animals? … Is it cheap because of unfair wages?”
She encouraged all to buy ethically produced products despite the higher cost because “you value it more and we waste less.”
She said her advocacy for conservation continued no matter what because of the state of the world.
At the time, she said she would have loved to spend her birthday out in a forest, but noted the importance of her being in the city to spread her message of preservation of the natural world.
Goodall also told TODAY.com that it’s never “too late to make a difference.”
“There’s nothing that we can’t do if we start collaborating with organizations that really do care about the future,” she said.