Jane Goodall, known globally for her work with chimpanzees and conservation, has died. Goodall visited Florida International University (FIU) in March 2023, where she addressed a full crowd at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
During her appearance, Goodall emphasized the importance of optimism. “We need people who are positive. We need people who have hope,” she said to the audience of 3,400 attendees. She explained that storytelling is more effective than facts when trying to share information and recounted experiences from her early life and research career.
Goodall described her challenging start studying chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park during the 1960s. “For four months, the chimps ran away when they saw me.” She credited her mother’s support for helping her persevere through difficult times until a key observation changed everything: “And then, in the fifth month, I had a breakthrough observation. A chimp was using a tool.” This finding shifted scientific understanding of humans’ relationship to animals.
Mireya Mayor, director of Science Communication and Exploration at FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education, played a key role in bringing Goodall to campus. Mayor commented on the event: “Jane has been a personal hero of mine, as well as a friend, and to see the incredibly powerful effect she had on this huge audience was simply fantastic. Her personal stories, her message of hope and her undying positivity and optimism for our power to make a better world brought the entire crowd of students, faculty, alumni and donors to our feet.”
Goodall spoke about environmental responsibility and youth empowerment. She referenced founding Roots & Shoots in 1991 after hearing concerns from Tanzanian high school students about their future. The organization now has chapters worldwide supporting young people’s involvement in conservation efforts.
She also stressed open communication as essential for change: if you don’t talk to people, you cannot expect them to change their behavior toward nature or each other. In 1977 Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which continues her global conservation work.
Her messages included: “We are all human beings, we all laugh, we all cry, we all bleed, we are a family.” Another core point was individual impact: “Every single day you live on this planet, you make an impact. It’s up to you what kind of impact it will be.”
The event received strong support from attendees ranging from university members to local schoolchildren inspired by Goodall’s example.
