Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE is known for her 60-year research into the lives of wild chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania. She discovered that by putting local communities at the heart of conservation, we improve the lives of people, animals and the environment. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to ensure the continuity of her programmes including ongoing research, two sanctuaries for orphan chimpanzees, TACARE the community-centred conservation programme now being replicated in other countries and Roots & Shoots. Roots & Shoots is Jane Goodall's humanitarian and environmental programme empowering young people of all ages in more than 65 countries to become involved in hands-on projects to benefit the community, animals and the environment we all share.
3 facts about Wildlife
Legal and Illegal infrastructure projects are proliferating around the world – the construction of roads, dams, developments often in pristine environments, destroying habitats and making it easier for poachers. Habitats are also shrinking as human communities expand needing more space. And our livestock numbers are soaring: cattle ranching and growing food for intensively farmed animals destroy habitats.
Wildlife trafficking. Capturing wild animals and exporting them live, or their body parts, around the world. Wildlife trafficking is a major threat to many species. And the growing trade around the world in exotic animals as pets is another major threat.
Poverty threatens wildlife as the very poor will cut down the last tree, hunt the last animal, fish the last fish, in their desperate effort to feed themselves and their families. Whilst the affluent make unsustainable demands on the finite natural resources of our planet to feed unsustainable lifestyles. Corrupt business and government officials give concessions to those who exploit the natural world for immediate short-term gain – for money, wealth, power.
3 things you can do to help
Think about the consequences of the choices you make each day. What do you buy? Did it harm the environment? Was it cruel to Animals? Is it cheap because of inequitable wages paid to workers, even children, in other countries? As millions (perhaps billions) of people make ethical choices the cumulative impact will be great.
Move towards a plant-based diet. Intensive animal farming – crowding billions of animals into horrendous conditions – is causing enormous damage to the environment: land must be cleared for growing grain, fossil fuel used to transport grain to animals, animals to slaughter, meat to table. Water is becoming increasingly scarce in many places: a great deal of water is used to change vegetable to animal protein, and crops must be irrigated – often this is draining the great aquifers. Finally, all the billions of animals produce methane gas during digestion – a very virulent green house gas.
Join the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots movement that involves young people from pre-school through university, with more adults forming groups. The main message of Roots&Shoots is that every one of us makes some impact on the planet – every day. Each group chooses 3 projects to make the world a better place for (1) people (2) animals and (3) the environment. Having decided on projects they are passionate about they roll up their sleeves and take action. The programme is now in 68 countries, with thousands of active groups.
JANE GOODALL, PhD, DBE - Founder; the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
“Extinction promises to be an exciting adventure to enthral the young and not so young… It will also enable us to learn about some of the problems faced by our planet and will encourage us to become part of the solution to help.”