One of the biggest conservationists, self taught scientists in primatology, anthropologists, and humanitarians has sadly passed away on Wednesday October 1st, 2025 due to natural causes. She impacted the science world in multiple different ways and she held her beliefs strong throughout her life, even through childhood always having strong opinions on how we should treat animals as well as all living things.
The real journey started with her dream to travel to Africa, which was to learn more about animals and write her own books based on her studies. Goodall saved up for a sea passage to Kenya and was soon meeting up with well known and respected paleontologist Dr Louis Leakly. But this is only the start of it, she’s mainly known for being a self taught primatologist. Beginning when she started to develop more understanding in the behavior of chimpanzees, her first observation was how similar they are to us humans.
To sum up what her legacy is, it focused on the understanding of human-animal relationships, as well as a high advocacy for wildlife conservation as well as the welfare of animals.
Her legacy through her career was not only to protect the environment or discover more about animals, especially chimpanzees, but her legacy also included involving future generations in the conservation of wildlife as well as how we see our planet. She focused on encouraging younger generations to share their passions. When I asked Palisade biology teacher Mrs Stout about how she thinks Jane Goodall affected the world, she states, “She was the first one to really do some large primate research, And so it really led to animal behavior studies. It really began when people really wanted to do animal behavior.” Mrs Stout, other science teachers, as well as many others know about her legacy, and about her phenomenal studies in primates. Jane Goodall has earned immense respect from many scientists in general in that way . Mrs Stout further states, “It was kind of neat, and I think it inspired a lot of people who were in school and wanted to go into science.” Jane Goodall herself stated, “Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, we shall be saved” Her legacy was to spread the understanding of our planet, she believed that if we don’t understand we cannot help. She was devoted strongly to the fact that if we start caring about our planet more, about the way we treat the world around us, that directly affects us as people, which can be found in many of her quotes and interviews like on Netflix “Famous Last Words”.
In the end Jane Goodall did not only just create a legacy that encouraged helping our planet and learning more about the world, but also made an impact on many to fight for what you believe in and share what you care deeply about. She famously said. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
