Doug Specht reflects upon the life and powerful legacy of Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees
Jane Goodall’s life bridged continents, generations, and imaginations, hers was a story that, for many of us, began not in the forests of Gombe but in living rooms, sitting cross-legged in front of a VHS player. I remember, as a child, the gentle flicker of those tapes: Goodall, ponytailed and serene, guiding viewers through the greenery of Tanzania, speaking to cameras as chimpanzees moved in and out of view.
Through those grainy lenses, she made the wild intimate and urgent, never shying away from the hardships but always letting hope shine.
Personally, I watched those tapes to the point of them becoming worn through and stretched. Those images though, did more than entertain, they instilled a sense of awe, wonder and purpose. Watching Jane move so gracefully through spaces that seemed impossibly remote, narrating each moment with empathy and curiosity, lit the spark for geography, curiosity about the world, and a deep need for environmental justice, that have lasted all my life; and have seen me also work in Tanzania.
Goodall never saw the line between humanity and nature as impassable; she asked hard questions, not just about chimpanzees, but about us. And she led by example. Her legacy is a world opened to environmental possibility, where activism, science, and compassion coexist.
Goodall’s first major discoveries, chimpanzees using tools, forming complex social bonds, and showing emotions long regarded as uniquely human, redefined our place in nature. But her impact radiated further. Powered by her Jane Goodall Institute, and the Roots & Shoots movement, her work galvanized millions to address environmental issues at the local level.
Countless campaigns and conservation initiatives bear her influence. Her message was always global but never impersonal; she saw a mosaic of interconnected lives, human and non-human, needing care.
For me, and for many Geographical readers who first met Goodall through a TV screen or a library book, her story became a personal call to action. Her example nudged us into tree-planting efforts in city parks, inspired letters to policymakers, and encouraged careers that kept one eye on the needs of the planet. Goodall’s encouragement that ‘every individual makes a difference’ was never just a slogan. It was, and remains a reality.
Jane Goodall died at age 91, but her work and spirit endure wherever curiosity becomes care and empathy gives rise to environmental action. She showed what it means, personally and geographically, to bear witness and to respond. To look at a planet in peril and still choose hope. May she rest in peace, and may her work continue to inspire generations yet to come to step gently and bravely into the wild.
