Honoring the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Honoring the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Whereas Dr. Jane Goodall, born in Hampstead, London, on April 3, 1934, became one of the world’s most celebrated ethologists, animal behaviorists, and environmental conservationists;

Whereas, throughout her life, Jane Goodall remained an indefatigable advocate for wildlife, dedicating herself not only to the protection of chimpanzees and other primates, but also to broader efforts to safeguard the natural world;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s work extended far beyond science, inspiring generations through her books, films, lectures, and the Jane Goodall Institute and the “Roots and Shoots Program,” which encourages youth around the world to work to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment;

Whereas, in 1957, at the age of just 23, Ms. Goodall moved to Africa on her own, where she met the famed paleontologist Louis Leakey, and with his support and encouragement, she began the work that would define her life;

Whereas, in 1960, Jane Goodall traveled to the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve (Gombe) in Tanzania, accompanied by her mother, Vanne, to begin her groundbreaking study of wild chimpanzees and where she established what has become the world’s longest-running wild chimpanzee research program, one that continues uninterrupted as of the date of this resolution;

Whereas, while at Gombe, Ms. Goodall, who at the time had not received formal academic training, made observations that challenged prevailing scientific assumptions;

Whereas Ms. Goodall documented chimpanzees making and using tools, hunting, and displaying complex social behaviors, activities that had once been thought exclusive to humans;

Whereas these findings not only transformed the study of primatology but reshaped how the world views the emotional and social lives of all animals;

Whereas, recognizing the importance of formal study, Ms. Goodall enrolled at Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1962, earning a degree in natural sciences and went on to pursue a doctorate at Darwin College, Cambridge, completing her Ph.D. in 1966 with a thesis on the behavior of free-living chimpanzees;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s early years of research at Gombe became the foundation of a scientific legacy that bridged rigorous observation with empathy for the animals she studied;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s influence extended far beyond academia, as she authored more than 27 books for both adults and children, appeared in numerous documentaries and films, and became a cultural figure whose presence extended beyond scientific circles;

Whereas, in 2019, the National Geographic Society honored her life’s work with “Becoming Jane,” a traveling exhibit that continues to tour across the United States;

Whereas Ms. Goodall's most recent book, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” has been translated into more than 20 languages, ensuring her voice resonates with people around the globe;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s achievements have been recognized with some of the world’s highest honors;

Whereas Jane Goodall was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, and 2 years later, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace;

Whereas Jane Goodall received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the French Légion d’honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence, the Medal of Tanzania, the Schweitzer Medal, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement;

Whereas countless other governments, institutions, and organizations have also celebrated Ms. Goodall's unique contributions;

Whereas Jane Goodall recognized that protecting nature is first and foremost about educating and motivating human beings on whom the survival of all species depends, which became her life’s mission, and she also never stopped advocating for the ethical treatment of animals;

Whereas most of the leading primatologists have been either mentored by Jane Goodall or inspired by her life and work;

Whereas, in 1991, Ms. Goodall founded the “Roots and Shoots Program,” to bring together young people, from preschool through university, to learn about environmental challenges and to take action to address them;

Whereas, as of the date of this resolution, the Roots and Shoots Program has local chapters in some 75 countries, encompassing thousands of community-based groups and youth members worldwide;

Whereas Jane Goodall recognized the critical role that indigenous people have played throughout history as caretakers of the natural environment and stressed the need to include indigenous people in decisions about policies, programs, and activities that impact their lands and livelihoods;

Whereas Jane Goodall founded the Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education (TACARE) program, recognizing that protecting forests and other natural resources is not possible if people living in the surrounding areas lack the necessities of life;

Whereas the TACARE program supports community-led sustainable agriculture techniques, reforestation, public health, girls’ education, fuel-efficient stoves, and small business development;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s life was a remarkable blend of science, advocacy, and compassion;

Whereas she showed the world that understanding animals requires not only observation, but empathy, that conservation demands both knowledge and courage, and that hope is a vital force in the struggle to protect the Earth;

Whereas Jane Goodall’s life was, above all, one of inspiration, she encouraged people everywhere, regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation, to recognize their ability and responsibility to protect wildlife and the planet’s threatened ecosystems;

Whereas, whether through scientific discovery, writing, advocacy, or personal example, Jane Goodall conveyed an unshakable belief that individuals can make a difference;

Whereas, on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91, Jane Goodall passed away while continuing the work to which she had devoted her life, raising awareness about threats to the global environment and urging humanity to act to protect it;

Whereas her death marked the end of an extraordinary personal journey, but not of the movement she inspired;

Whereas the programs she founded, the generations she mentored, and the many millions she influenced stand as enduring testaments to her vision and determination; and

Whereas Jane Goodall’s legacy will continue to inspire humanity to live in greater harmony with the natural world: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) pays tribute to Dr. Jane Goodall’s lifelong dedication to the survival and ethical treatment of chimpanzees and other living things and to wildlife conservation throughout the world;

(2) commends her tireless efforts to educate the public and especially children about the importance of protecting the natural environment;

(3) extends its deepest condolences and sympathies to Jane Goodall’s family and the staff at the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots and Shoots Program in this time of loss; and

(4) honors the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Jane Goodall, whose efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world continue to inspire people of every nationality on every continent.