Dr. Jane Goodall went into the forest to study the remarkable lives of chimpanzees—and she came out of the forest to save them. When she discovered that the survival of their species was threatened by habitat destruction and illegal trafficking, she developed a breakthrough approach to species conservation that improves the lives of people, animals and the environment by honoring their connectedness to each other. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to ensure that her vision and life’s work continue to mobilize the collective power of individual action to save the natural world we all share. Your support helps us advance Jane’s vision and work around the world as a force of compassion for all living things.
Timeline The Jane Goodall Institute
1960
Jane and her mother Vanne arrive on the shores of Gombe, Tanzania. Jane Goodall begins her research on wild chimpanzees.
1963
National Geographic publishes “My Life Among the Wild Chimpanzees” and brings Jane Goodall and her chimps into the homes of millions.
1977
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is founded to inspire hope through action around the world.
2002
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan names Jane a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Photo credits on this page (left to right, top to bottom): GANT/ Morten Bjarnhof , Frame X Frame Films, JGI/Hugo van Lawick, Rajah Bose /Gonzaga University, JGI/ Anna Mosser, JGI/Vanne Morris-Goodall, NIck Riley, Andy Nelson, Frame X Frame Films. Video credits: Andy Nelson, Chase Pickering, Dave Siddon/Leakey Foundation, Google, JGI Uganda, Ma Xiaogang, Michael Neugebauer, National Geographic, Nick Riley, Norman Jean Roy, Rajah Bose/Gonzaga University, SD Ryan, the Jane Goodall Institute/ Fernando Turmo, the Jane Goodall Institute/Lilian Pintea, the Jane Goodall Institute/Bill Wallauer.