I sat in the front row of an auditorium the other day a little choked up and even a little teary eyed. Must be some kind of hormonal surge or something, I thought. Or maybe I really just couldn’t believe that I was sitting there getting ready to hear a revolutionary figure, a humanitarian, one of the most famous women of our time, speak. Then Jane Goodall stepped on the stage and I began to question my hormone theory.
We had rolled into Bend Oregon the day before and I was checking out things to do in town. One of the first things I came across was a talk by Jane Goodall. What luck! What an opportunity! Wow, Jane Goodall! I was so excited. But, I have to admit a little embarrassingly and guiltily that before I was overtaken with excitement, I thought “she’s still alive?” Well, not only is she still alive, but at 77 years old she travels 300 days a year spreading goodwill and educating people about conservation and taking care of the planet.
Growing up, I remember reading National Geographic articles about her and have seen many TV specials about her. She is one of those “good people” in the world, someone who gives, contributes and tries her best, despite the seemingly overwhelming opposition, to make the world a better place.
In 1960, famed Archeologist/Paleontologist Louis Leakey, took a chance hiring Jane, a young girl with no formal training or education, to study chimpanzees in Africa. Her passion for animals and lack of formal research training enabled her to take the time to listen to nature and understand it, despite previous notions. Humans, up until then, had distinguished themselves from the rest of the animal kingdom by their use of “tools”. Her discovery of chimpanzees use of tools questioned the place of man and animal within the animal Kingdom.
Since her revolutionary find, she has not slowed down. Research work with chimpanzees evolved into conservation work to protect animal habit which evolved into humanitarian work to aid people. Realizing how everything is related and dependent on everything else, she has evolved into educating the public, especially children (Roots and Shoots), so that the future generations will have a chance at taking better care of the earth than the last couple of generations have.
Her talk near Bend was part of a fundraising effort to support Chimps Inc., a local Chimpanzee sanctuary and she spoke to a packed house. She related stories from her childhood and research, the influence her mother had on her career and promoted her worldwide Roots and Shoots Program. She also brought Songwriter/Author Dana Lyons on stage to sing a couple of songs. She finished her program by bringing children from local Roots and Shoots Programs on stage with a homemade peace dove.
left: Dana Lyons
right: It was a packed house.
It was a wonderful and informative event. When someone brought up a rumor that she may be retiring and not have another opportunity to return to Bend, she said with a smile “I’ll come back again. I’m not retiring. I may be dead but, I’m not retiring.”
above: Roots and Shoots Members with their “peace dove”.
At one point, she had jumped down off the 3 ft. high stage like an acrobat to help the kids carrying the peace dove and then escorted them up the stairs to the stage. She showed no signs of slowing down. And that’s good for us because the world needs to hold on to and listen to the “good people”.
As she left the stage, everyone stood and clapped. I, again, got a little choked up. I’d like to blame it on hormones but, I really think it was Jane.
“We have the choice to use the gift of our lives to make the world a better place.”
Jane Goodall
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