In the summer of 1960, Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area's chimpanzee population. It is hard to overstate the degree to which Dr. Goodall changed and enriched the field of primatology. She has disproved that man is the only species to make tools, that chimpanzees were primarily vegetarians; and has shown that animals have distinct personalities, minds, emotions, and lasting family relationships; that chimpanzees engage in warfare, courtship, and adoption. Among her many honors, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace and a Dame of the British Empire. Today, Jane spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.

In 1977, Jane founded The Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation to provide ongoing support for field research on wild chimpanzees. Today, the mission of the Jane Goodall Institute is to advance the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things. The Institute is a leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats and is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and the Roots & Shoots education program in nearly 100 countries.