Science@Work Classic
On April 3, Jane Goodall has a big birthday: She turns 90 years old. Goodall is the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Her impressive career began more than 60 years ago!
Today, she continues to keep a busy schedule, speaking often. As the Jane Goodall Institute puts it, she discusses the threats facing chimpanzees and the environment. She urges each of us “to take action on behalf of all living things and the planet we share.” How does she do it? Jane says, “As I get older…I have to do more and more, because there’s so much more to do. But the main thing is to inspire others.”
Jane Goodall first arrived in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in eastern Africa in July 1960. She spent months sitting alone, silent and still. She gave the local chimpanzees time to grow accustomed to her. To be accepted by them, she tried to blend into their surroundings. If any chimp noticed her, she did a “baboon act.” She pretended to dig for tasty insects as if she were just another hungry, hairless primate. She personally experimented with the chimp lifestyle. She tasted fruits she saw the chimps eat. She rested in their treetop nests. To better remember each individual, she
