I'm attempting to write everyday in March.Today is post 14 of 31
We have to remember that each single one of us matters. We have a role to play in this life, just as every small species does. But for us, each day that we live, we make some impact on the planet, and we have a choice as to what kind of impact we're going to make. - Jane Goodall
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| National Geographic |
For the past three days in my class we've been studying the life and impact of Dr. Jane Goodall. While I knew who Jane was as a scientist, I hadn't realized the extent of her impact on our world until we began to study her. For three days we have shared resources, learned about the best way for each of us to take notes, and are writing up a blog of what we've learned. I'm sharing what resources we used here, including a write up of my own learning.
Jane left England at the age of twenty-three to follow her lifelong dream of studying animals in the wild. According to The Guardian, from the time she was young, she had a natural curiosity about animals and their instincts. In many of the sources we shared this week we learned about her natural propensity to watch. In Primates and The Watcher, we learned of the famous anecdote where she studied the chickens in the henhouse, watching for hours, and waiting for an egg to arrive. Jane learned early that by observing and fading into the background, she could observe an animals natural behavior.
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| The Jane Goodall Institue |
What I was most impressed by in our study of Jane was her drive. In The Watcher by Jeanette Winter, Jane says, "This is where I belong. This is what I came into this world to do." Jane knew early what her life's mission would be, to be with the animals in their natural habitat. For years she followed that mission, and yet, when the mission needed to change, she did just that. According to The Watcher, in the 1980s when she discovered that chimpanzees were becoming endangered because of humans, Jane left her beloved chimps in Gombe and went out into the world, speaking on behalf of the animals that couldn't speak for themselves.
Jane is a trailblazer. In the trailer for her documentary, Jane from National Geographic, we learned how she entered the jungles of Tanzania untrained, and discovered truths about chimpanzees that even scientists in the field for years hadn't learned. By watching and observing she learned they were tool makers and had similar emotions to humans. I was surprised by all she learned from them, including how to best be a parent. In another video from National Geographic, Jane says that by watching mother chimps with their young she learned to develop a bond, be close, and let them know that they can rely on you. She did this all at a time where women in the field of science were rare. She broke the barriers down.
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| LA Times |
I admire Jane Goodall greatly. She is tireless in her efforts to make this world a better place. Even now at the age of 85, Jane hasn't slowed down. Our Time Magazine article showed us how much work she was still accomplishing, trying to save these animals she loves. She's still out trying to make the world for a better place for all of us.
Resources:
Goodall, Jane. “Dr. Jane Goodall on Sexism and Gender Equality.” Time, Time, 9 Mar. 2018, time.com/5192249/jane-goodall-sexism-gender-equality-documentary/.
JANE, National Geographic, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRlUJrEUn0Y.
Jane Goodall: A History, National Geographic, video.nationalgeographic.com/video/00000144-0a34-d3cb-a96c-7b3d061b0000.
McDonnell, Patrick. Me-- Jane. CNIB, 2014.
McKie, Robin. “Jane Goodall: 50 Years Working with Chimps | Discover Interview.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 June 2010, www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jun/27/jane-goodall-chimps-africa-interview.
Ottaviani, Jim, and Maris Wicks. Primates: the Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. First Second Books, 2013.
Silvey, Anita. Untamed: the Wild Life of Jane Goodall. National Geographic, 2015.
Sullivan, Ashley. Jane Goodalls Good for All News, 22 Dec. 2017, news.janegoodall.org/2017/11/21/tchimpounga-chimpanzee-of-the-month-wounda/.
TodayShow. TODAY.com, www.today.com/video/how-dr-jane-goodall-used-the-lessons-she-learned-from-chimps-to-raise-her-own-children-1077739075672.
Winter, Jeanette. The Watcher: Jane Goodalls Life with the Chimps. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011.
