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The biggest life change for me was at a conference in 1986 when I realized that, all across Africa, chimps were
disappearing. This was the first time all the people studying chimps met together. A conference session on
conditions in medical research labs was so shocking. By then, I had a wonderful life. I was going out with the
animals doing analysis – my childhood dream. But I left [the conference] an activist. Since then I haven’t
stayed more than three weeks in any one place.
Our youth programme, Roots and Shoots [where young people identify problems in their communities and take
action to create a better environment] is now in 130 countries. One very important programme is Takare [a
project based outside Kigoma in Tanzania], which is improving the lives of the people living around wild areas.
My biggest fear is that we will fail to create enough young people who understand that, we need money to live,
but we shouldn’t be living for money.
My own child was a great joy. The biggest joy with the chimps is watching child development and family
relationships – I just love that part of it.
First, groups of young people with shining eyes who want to tell ‘Dr Jane’ what they have been doing to make
the world a better place for animals, people and the environment. And then, the animals rescued from
extinction. My favourite story was from New Zealand, where there was a little bird called a black robin. There
were only seven birds left… only two females. One of the females was infertile and the other had an infertile
mate. Doesn’t that seem like the end? Would you give up? But this biologist said, ‘No. I’m not giving up!’ There
are now 500 of them – because of him! The strong human spirit is a great reason for hope.
Now click on the original article here and note down all the new vo-
cabulary and phrases:
http://newint.org/columns/finally/2012/07/01/jane-goodall-interview/
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