Last week Friday, Florida International University hosted a lecture with renowned conservationist and Ethologist Dr. Jane Goodall at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
During her lecture, “Inspiring Hope Through Action,” Dr. Goodall connected with the audience on an intimate level.
She spoke about the time she spent in Gombe, Tanzania in the early 60s working on animal behavior and described herself as a woman “breaking the rules” in ethology when she first started observing chimpanzees. At the time, she didn’t have a degree and encouraged the audience to not let that keep them from pursuing their passion.
Goodall also touched on the topics of climate change and biodiversity through some of her messages of hope. Even though she believes these are the greatest threats to the planet, she says there is still time to correct it if we act now.
“As we destroy ecosystems, we’re harming the future of our children,” Goodall said during a press conference last week. “An ecosystem is made up of this interconnected mix of animals, plants, and as we destroy that the ecosystem can collapse.”
For over 60 years, Goodall has been an icon in the conservation and scientific community. She made a name for herself conducting groundbreaking observations with wild chimpanzees. Her work helped better understand the animal kingdom and our connection with it.
As a 2002 United Nations Messenger of Peace Inductee, Goodall still continues her work today. She travels the world sharing her reasons for hope and the importance of individuals to take action to secure a better tomorrow.
Dr. Jane Goodall turns 89 on April 3.
Julian Davis worked on the reporting. Megan Lichtman worked on the video.
