Jane Goodall, a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and humanitarian, will present a lecture entitled "Gombe and Beyond: The Next 50 Years" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 7 at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.
Fifty years ago, Goodall first set foot on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in what is now Tanzania's Gombe National Park. Her landmark behavioral study of chimpanzees, under the mentorship of famed anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey, would become the foundation of future primatological research and redefined the relationship between humans and animals.
Her vision has since expanded into a global mission to empower people to make a difference for all living things. In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which established community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa. She also helped found Roots & Shoots, the JGI's global environmental and humanitarian youth network, which engages young people from preschool through college in more than 120 countries to take positive action in their communities and beyond. Her efforts led to her 2002 recognition as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Today Goodall travels more than 300 days per year, telling her stories to audiences around the world. In her Chicago lecture, Goodall will reflect-both personally and professionally-on the meaning of the past five decades, the extraordinary changes the world has seen since 1960 and the impact those changes have had on people, animals and the environment. In addition, she will discuss how to ensure a better future for generations to come.
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, the Civic Knowledge Project, the Sustainability Council, Roots & Shoots, and the University Community Service Center are co-sponsoring the event. A book signing will follow the lecture.
Tickets ($25 general admission, $10 students) may be purchased daily from noon to 6 p.m. from the chapel's front desk, or by calling 773-702-2100 or 773-702-7059. There may be tickets available when doors open for the lecture at 6:45 p.m.
About the Jane Goodall Institute
Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues Goodall's pioneering research on chimpanzee behavior-research that transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Today, it is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It also is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa.
About Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots
Founded in 1991 by Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students, the Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen-for communities, animals and the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in more than 120 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website.
—Prof. Kunle Odunsi
