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Fellow Explorers,
It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Jane Goodall, Explorers Club Medalist, Fellow, and Honorary Member.
Dr. Goodall was a pioneering primatologist and a giant of conservation whose work fundamentally transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and inspired a global movement to protect the natural world. The world has lost more than the most trusted voice in conservation, we’ve lost a friend.
Her decades of research in Tanzania, which began with the encouragement of anthropologist Louis Leakey (as one of the now-iconic Trimates), revealed that chimpanzees use tools, express complex emotions, and possess distinct personalities. These findings shattered preconceived notions about animals and forever reshaped humanity’s place within the animal kingdom.
Today I spoke to another icon of primate research Biruté Galdikas: “I’ve known Jane for close to 60 years, I met her before I first went to Borneo. She was always supportive of other conservationists like me, even in the early days. She was an inspiration to me, to women, and to everyone. When she walked into a room, she glowed. She was extraordinary and it wasn’t an accident that she became a global figure. How many other conservationists’ names are known worldwide? She was a living legend and one of my greatest inspirations.”
In 1993, Dr. Goodall was honored with The Explorers Club Medal, becoming only the second woman to receive the award after Mary Leakey and the Leakey Family. Her 60 years of exemplary field research, coupled with her success in a male-dominated field, made her an inspiration for countless individuals pursuing science, conservation, and humanitarian efforts worldwide.
Anyone who says never meet your heroes never met Jane. She was exactly who you would hope she would be: warm, funny, determined. I know so many members of our Club with personal stories of the legendary Jane Goodall.
When a member was falsely imprisoned for his conservation work in Iran, Jane wrote to him regularly, encouraging him to remain hopeful. She met with students and encouraged them to chase their dreams of pursuing field science. In these and other stories, her selflessness shines through – everyone who met her instantly recognized her devotion to the greater good.
We hope to honor Jane’s enduring legacy by continuing the Club’s dedication to conserving wild places, and amplifying the voices she taught us to hear. Throughout her life, she spoke of the choices every individual can make every day to make our world a better place – the difference she has made far outweighs any one person’s responsibility, and her life and actions will continue to leave an impact in the world of conservation and the heart of explorers worldwide.
Yours in exploration and hope,
Richard Wiese
President, The Explorers Club
Header photo by Michael Neugebauer / The Jane Goodall Institute
Footer photo of Richard Wiese and Jane Goodall in The Explorers Club HQ, 2018
