MIAMI – Dr. Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees is in South Florida to speak at Florida International University.
The founder of the Jane Goodall Institutes, a renowned ethnologist and conservationist, was to speak at the university to share insights on her “Inspiring Hope Through Action: An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall.”
CBS News Miami’s Ted Scouten had the chance to speak with Dr. Goodall.
“What does it feel like to get that incredible hug from a chimpanzee?” CBS Miami’s Ted Scouten asked.
“There’s chimpanzees and chimpanzees!” Dr. Goodall said.
“Some of them have this really great presence and you really feel that you’re looking into the eyes of a being that you can have an instinctive communion with. Others are just bratty, some nice chimps and some really unpleasant ones,” she laughed.
“You’ve done so much groundbreaking and barrier-breaking work throughout your entire life. What do you look at as the most important,” Scouten asked.
“Well, two. One, helping science move away from that very reductionist attitude toward animals which maintains only humans have personalities, minds and emotions.” She continued, “And secondly working with children, starting our Roots and Shoots program. It’s now in 68 countries around the world.
“That is the most important, biggest lesson you learned working with chimps,” Scouten asked.
“That we are part of the animal kingdom. We’re not separated from it. We are the 5th great ape, in fact, biologically we are the 5th great ape,” she said.
“I think a lot of what you work on as well is putting a face and a voice to climate change and the dangers,” Scouten said.
“I’ve seen people who’ve had to leave their island homes because of sea level rise, caused by the warming of the ocean and the melting of the ice,” Dr. Goodall said.
“All around the world where the patterns are changing. I’ve seen the aftermath of the terrible hurricanes that are more frequent, the flooding that is worse and more often, the droughts which are longer,” she said.
“Part of your message is inspiration and hope. What do you mean by that?” Scouten asked.
“My job is to inspire, to give them hope because, without hope, people fall into apathy and do nothing. If they all do nothing we’re doomed,” she said.
“I suggest people find something in your community you care about, like here it might be writing letters to stop the pollution of the water that’s causing the loss of seagrass and the loss of marine life. Maybe you want to force boats to go slower so there are less hits on the manatees or maybe you want to go, volunteer, where the wounded manatee are,” Dr. Goodall said.
Goodall spoke in Tampa before coming to South Florida.
She turned 89 on Monday.
