Tribute to Jane Goodall: A life teaching humanity to hear nature

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OPINION

By Howard Mwesigwa

The world has lost a towering figure of compassion, science, and conservation. Dame Jane Goodall (1934–2025), the legendary primatologist and conservationist, leaves behind not just a compelling body of research but an enduring legacy—a moral compass for humanity in an age of glaring ecological peril. A bastion of conservation indeed!

Goodall’s name is inseparable from the forests of Africa, where she revolutionised our understanding of primates, chimpanzees, in particular. Reflecting on Goodall’s legacy, I am inclined to the credence that, beyond Gombe in Tanzania, Uganda held a special place in her journey. It was there, on the shores of Lake Victoria, that Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary became a living emblem of her philosophy — that every life matters, that restoration is possible, and that conservation must be woven together with community.

When she returned to Ngamba in 2023 to mark its 25th anniversary, Goodall stood not just as a scientist but as a witness to resilience — of chimpanzees given new life, of Ugandan conservationists rising to safeguard ecosystems, and of young people inspired by her steadfast belief that hope lies in collective action. Through her partnership with Ugandan institutions and leaders, she demonstrated that protecting wildlife could never be detached from uplifting human dignity and livelihoods.

Her global legacy is irrefutably profound. Goodall’s patient observations at Gombe shattered entrenched scientific dogmas, proving that chimpanzees use tools, express emotions, grieve, and celebrate. In them, she saw not “specimens” but individuals with distinct personalities — a truth that forever altered how science speaks about animals.

Yet Goodall’s impact was never confined to the scientific community. Through the Roots & Shoots programme, she mobilised millions of young people around the world to act for animals, people, and the environment. In Uganda, as elsewhere, countless youth like me found in her message a source of agency: that no action is too small, and no voice too insignificant to contribute to a more just, greener and sustainable world.

Her passing compels us to confront the unfinished work she leaves behind. Uganda’s forests are still shrinking, wildlife remains endangered, and the climate crisis is intensifying. If we are to truly honour Jane Goodall, it must not be with words alone but with deeds! We must expand sanctuaries, champion local stewards of the natural world, and weave conservation into the very fabric of education and development policy. We must teach present and future generations that nature is not a mere resource to exploit, but a heritage to steward. We ought to rethink our anthropocentric approaches to development and the environment.

Goodall showed us that courage, empathy, and science could walk hand in hand. She showed us that a voice — with steadfastness and conviction — can awaken the conscience of the world. I should love, ultimately, to add that the responsibility now rests with us, to ensure her flame does not dim, but burns brighter in our collective pursuit of harmony with nature—between people and planet. Her voice may be silent, but her call to action resounds louder than ever!

The writer is Global Environment & Climate Change Law Scholar

University of Edinburgh

hmwesigw@ed.ac.uk