WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) — Jane Goodall was scheduled to speak in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening as part of her fall tour — an event suddenly halted by her death Los Angeles a week earlier at age 91. But the institute she co-founded has pledged to advance its goals.
Leaders of the Jane Goodall Institute, founded in 1977, said they plan to carry on the mission of the famed primatologist known for her humanitarian and environmental concerns.
From the chimpanzee research in Tanzania to global Roots & Shoots youth programs, the institute plans reinforce what Goodall believed: “The future of the planet and humanity is in our hands.”
Conservationist Anna Rathmann, the Institute’s executive director for almost five years, told UPI in an interview this week that “We miss her dearly, but we also are assuming the mantle that we are proudly bearing as her organization to continue her work and carry forward her mission and vision of a bright future for the planet.”
Rathmann added: “We believe that every individual makes a difference, and we work to make positive impacts for people, other animals and the planet.”
The Jane Goodall Institute is not huge, but is respectable in size and holding its own in an environment that makes it difficult for non-profits to raise money. It reported $27.4 million in revenue and $26.3 million in expenses in 2023, ending the year with $27.7 million in net assets.
Much of its budget — some $17 million — went toward conservation and research efforts in Africa and youth-led environmental programs worldwide. Its funding stems largely from grants and contributions, and until its namesake’s death, Goodall’s lecture tours.
Funeral services or memorials have not been announced, but Rathmann shared Goodall’s wish for after her death — one that would have a similar ethos to her mission.
“Jane was very clear, please do something that honors me by making, sharing and passing on that kind of hope and optimism — whether it’s tree plantings or whether it’s just doing a good act in your community,” she said.
“Jane really envisioned her organization to continue well into the future and to inspire and continue to make these positive impacts for many generations to come. We were fortunate to have those conversations and have that time with Jane to plan in advance,” Rathmann said.
Originally from England, Goodall embarked on a trip to Gombe, Tanzania, at age 26 to start her research on chimpanzees. She immersed herself in their habitat, finding breakthroughs in their similarities with humans, specifically with emotions and bonds. Her research highlighted how chimpanzees would make and use tools to obtain food.
“Jane started the organization to ensure that her research continued in Tanzania, working with chimpanzees. That research has continued now, to this date, for 65 years continuously. … We fully intend to make that a focus of ours, in addition to the larger, landscape-wide conservation initiatives,” Rathmann said.
Goodall started the Roots & Shoots program, which brought together young people and young adults to work on environmental and humanitarian projects in their communities. The programs has chapters in more than 75 countries, and more than 1.7 million people participated globally in 2024.
“We have base camps in Chicago, Atlanta, Portland, Los Angeles, Tampa, all across the country … It can look like a lot of different things for our colleagues,” Rathmann said, explaining that each chapter leads where the need is. For example, cleaning up beaches in Tampa, replanting trees after wildfires in Los Angeles, and working at an animal shelter in Chicago.
As for the volunteers that make it possible, Rathmann said, “We believe that young people are absolutely integral to making sure that the future is bright for all living animals.”
Rathmann added, “Jane had a superpower, and that was an ability to connect with people at all walks of life, at any stage of life … Jane often talked about meeting people with both the heart and the head, that you cannot just give statistics to someone and expect them to change. You need to tell stories. You need to reach their heart.”
During the interview with UPI, Rathmann’s face would light up talking about Goodall, sharing that the community Goodall sought to build not only positively impacted communities around the world, but it was also felt within the team at the Jane Goodall Institute.
“There’s a saying that Jane often would close many of her public lectures and even meetings in the office with ‘Together we can, together we will, and together we must change the world.’
“That’s something that is woven into the fabric of the organization, and we live by that mantra together. We will make impacts and make a positive difference for the future,” Rathmann said.