My Life with the Chimpanzees

Gombe Stream National Park, located in Tanzania, is the site of Jane Goodall’s pioneering research on chimpanzees. Beginning in 1960, Goodall’s long-term study provided groundbreaking insights into chimpanzee behavior, including tool use, social structures, and dietary habits, challenging many previously held beliefs about primates. The park, though small, is rich in biodiversity and became a national park in 1968, largely due to Goodall’s work.

Roots & Shoots, a global youth program initiated by Jane Goodall in 1991, aims to empower young people to identify and proactively solve environmental problems. The program began with 12 students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who were eager to discuss issues they had witnessed in their community. Impressed by their compassion, Goodall founded Roots & Shoots, which emphasizes the power of collective small actions. The program’s metaphorical name highlights its dual focus: building a strong foundation (“roots”) and nurturing growth and resilience (“shoots”). The twin chimpanzees, Rootsi and Shootsi, were named after the program to symbolize these foundational principles. By 1993, Roots & Shoots had expanded internationally. Today, it operates in over 60 countries, promoting the intrinsic value of all living beings and the importance of individual contributions to global change.