JANE GOODALL INSPIRES: YOU ARE HOPE IN ACTION!

Patti Toohey

I have always known about Ms. Goodall. She’s been apart of the world all of my life. This past summer I introduced my 10 year old daughter to Ms. Goodall via the Masterclass videos posted on Facebook. And that was it-off and running she went. She chose a biography for her first book report, this year’s Halloween costume, trip to D.C. to see the Jane movie and a planned trip to the Kennedy Center Me…Jane production. Even before my daughter was introduced to Jane, Carrie has always shown the heart of Jane through her compassion to wildlife and the environment.A few years ago I noticed the Wildlife foundation in my hometown took collections of acorns and pumpkins for the animals and Carrie was off…not only has this inspired her to collect and donate, her little, her little brother now does this, her before and after school care collects for us and now her Girl Scout troop. Reading about Jane and seeing the movie has shown Carrie how one person with compassion can help and make change. Thank you Jane for your love of animals and the environment. You are an example to my children to continue to be responsible for our world. I have attached a picture of Carrie dressed up as Jane, collecting acorns for our local wildlife center.

Jennie Burns

Ever since I was a child, I knew of the important work that was being done on the ground with chimps by Dr. Goodall. I was obsessed with wildlife, nature shows, and anyone who worked closely with wildlife, conservation, and ethology. I knew the definition of that word at age 13, and decided that I would be an ethologist when I grew up.Though the field of ethology isn’t exactly what I ended up going into, I did get my biology degree from the University of Utah. Jane played a huge role in that. I pictured her face every day in class as motivation for reaching my goals to graduate – you see, I grew up in a *very* poor family and was the first to go to college, let alone graduate. During college I started working in the campus research labs where my love for the tropics blossomed. I studied under a tropical ecologist with a passion for tropical ants and how they behaved and socialised. I also studied tropical plant defences and their evolution against herbivores. After college, I volunteered in both Costa Rica and Belize for months at a time, as well as with other wildlife sanctuaries around the world. Now I pass my love of wildlife and conservation on by bringing people on wildlife volunteer projects around the globe with my company Jennie of the Jungle. To see someone look into the eyes of an animal they have found a connection with is my favourite feeling in the world. I thank Jane for my motivation to keep doing this work in a field that is sometimes difficult to remain in. I had the honour of meeting her last year and I still picture her smiling face when times seem dim, and I know I just have to keep doing what I am doing in order to save this planet.

Dayna Reggero

I have been inspired by Jane Goodall since I was a child. I was recently featured on the front page of my local newspaper, Asheville Citizen Times, for an article titled: “Women make their mark in the environmental sciences” and the article states: “Her role model was the celebrated primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.” . I became a vegetarian at 12 years old. My first job was at a zoo when I was 18 years old. I went on television for a decade with animals to share ways people could take action to help endangered species and local wildlife. Then, I went behind the camera, filming individuals across the United States and around the world to share hopeful stories on climate and community through my Climate Listening Project. I was invited to the Paris Climate Talks to show one of my films and to film interviews while there, including an opportunity to finally meet Jane Goodall, but I became very ill with pancreas issues before the event and ended up in the hospital unable to go! I’ve worked for 20 years to connect people around hopeful solutions through the things that connect us: the animals we love, the food we eat, faith, family, business, and place. I was recently honoured as an Official Selection for the Belize International Film Festival for my “Wood Thrush Connection” film that shows people from all backgrounds around the world taking action to protect a bird they love. My newest film series “The Story We Want” shows women across America working together in a culture of extraction to create solutions. The people I’ve met as a result of being inspired by Dr. Goodall have given me hope.