Fiftieth George Gamow Memorial Lecture
Dr. Jane Goodall
"Sowing the Seeds of Hope"
Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 7:30 P.M.
Coors Events Center
University of Colorado Boulder
In her speech, Sowing the Seeds of Hope, Dr. Goodall will bring her audience into the world of the Gombe chimpanzees―from her early observations and experiences to the latest news and stories from the field. Her latest publication, “Seeds of Hope”, dives into the world of plants, exploring interesting anomalies about the natural world and how we can protect the place we call home.
Dr. Goodall will also share information about the work of the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues her pioneering research at Gombe and is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats, operating in more than 28 countries.
In 1991, Dr. Goodall began Roots & Shoots, the Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program that is now in more than 130 countries across the globe. The program empowers young people of all ages to identify issues in their local communities or worldwide, and truly help to make a difference for people, animals and the environment we all share.
In Sowing the Seeds of Hope, Dr. Goodall will provide insight into the person behind the globe-trotting international icon: a UN Messenger of Peace, Dame of the British Empire, and the subject of countless articles and television programs around the world. She will also discuss the current threats facing the planet and her reasons for hope in these complex times, encouraging everyone in the audience to do their part to make a positive difference each and every day.
Watch the Lecture
In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is today Tanzania and bravely entered the little-known world of wild chimpanzees. She was equipped with nothing more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars. But with her unyielding patience and characteristic optimism, she won the trust of these initially shy creatures. She managed to open a window into their sometimes strange and often familiar-seeming lives. The public was fascinated and remains so to this day.
Today, Jane’s work revolves around inspiring action on behalf of endangered species, particularly chimpanzees, and encouraging people to do their part to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment we all share. The Jane Goodall Institute works to protect the famous chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania, but recognizes this can’t be accomplished without a comprehensive approach that addresses the needs of local people who are critical to chimpanzee survival. Our community-centered conservation programs in Africa include sustainable development projects that engage local people as true partners. These programs began around Gombe in 1994, but have since been replicated in other parts of the continent. Likewise, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, which Jane started with a group of Tanzania students in 1991, is today the Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth program for young people from preschool through university with nearly 150,000 members in more than 130 countries.
Image Caption: Jane Goodall with Motambo, an orphan at the JGI Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center. Image Credit: the Jane Goodall Institute