Jane Goodall: A Voice for the Planet

At 90 years old, Jane Goodall stood before the world once again—this time at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, on October 19, 2024—where she held the stage for over an hour, reminding us that the most powerful tool for planetary survival is not technology or policy alone, but hope in action.

The legendary primatologist, conservationist, and UN Messenger of Peace delivered what would become one of her final large-scale public addresses: a speech remembered as both a clarion call for urgent planetary stewardship and a celebration of our shared humanity. Less than a year later, on October 1, 2025, she passed away while lecturing in Los Angeles, doing what she had done for more than six decades—inspiring the world to act.

Her words that day carried the weight of a lifetime spent listening to the Earth. She reflected on decades of fieldwork in the forests of Gombe, her encounters with chimpanzees who taught her to see beyond human boundaries, and her enduring belief that every individual has the power to make a difference.

“We have harmed this beautiful planet,” she said, her voice steady and clear. “But I believe we have a window of time—just a small window—to turn things around. It will take every one of us, working together, with determination and compassion.”

Throughout her career, Jane Goodall championed the interdependence of people, animals, and the environment, a message she returned to again and again, including on the UNESCO stage. She warned that climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequity are interwoven challenges—a single fabric of crisis that must be met through collective responsibility and ethical stewardship.

Speaking from the world’s cultural and intellectual commons, she appealed to leaders, communities, and future generations to act not only from scientific knowledge but from empathy, respect, and a deep sense of kinship with all living things.

“What we do to the planet, we do to ourselves,” she reminded all of us in the audience.

Even in moments of profound seriousness, Goodall carried the room with warmth. In Paris, as she looked out over a rapt audience, she offered one of her most memorable quips:

“Tarzan married the wrong Jane.”

The hall erupted in laughter—a ripple of shared joy in a time of global uncertainty. Her ability to blend gravity with grace, to speak hard truths while nurturing hope, was one of her greatest gifts.

Goodall’s message was never one of despair. It was a call to imagine and enact a different future—one where action, compassion, and community could repair what has been broken. Her global Roots & Shoots movement continues to empower young people in over 60 countries to engage directly in environmental and humanitarian projects, planting seeds—both literal and figurative—of ecological renewal.

For the World Sensorium Conservancy, her words and life’s work resonate deeply. Goodall embodied the truth that environmental conservation is cultural conservation: to protect the living world is to protect its memory, meaning, and sensory signatures—from the scent of the forest floor after rain to the songs of birds at dawn.

Her legacy aligns with WS/C’s mission to safeguard the Earth’s aromatic and medicinal heritage, ensuring that future generations inherit not only a livable planet but one rich in sensory and cultural connection.

In a time of profound planetary change, Jane Goodall’s UNESCO addresses served as both a benediction and a charge. Hope, she reminded us, is not a passive feeling. It is a discipline. A shared responsibility. A commitment to act with courage, creativity, and care.

“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”

From the green canopy of Gombe to the halls of the United Nations, from the scent of wet soil to the sound of chimpanzees greeting the morning, her voice continues to guide us forward—clear, luminous, and unafraid.

Jane Goodall spent her life showing us how to listen. It is now our turn to answer.

Gayil Nalls, PhD, is an interdisciplinary artist and theorist and the founder of the World Sensorium Conservancy.