Jane believes that every small action adds up to a big impact. For her birthday, here are a few ways to truly celebrate Jane by taking action in your community! 

Jane Goodall is turning 91 on April 3, 2025, and we want to celebrate this major birthday with you! Jane is lucky enough to have an amazing group of supporters who want to help her celebrate with cake and gifts, but the best gift you can give Jane is your promise to help her make a positive difference for people, other animals, and the planet we share.  

In honor of Jane’s birthday, the Jane Goodall Institute started the #GoodAllDay movement to put her vision of hope into action. You can join in on April 3 by doing acts of kindness, whether big or small. Keep reading to learn more and get inspired. 

How to Participate: 

• Choose Your Action: Select a positive action you can do on April 3 that resonates with you. It could be as simple as complimenting a stranger, volunteering at a community event, or donating to a cause you believe in. 

• Share Your Impact: Share your photo or video on social media using the hashtag #GoodAllDay to join the global celebration on April 3. Don’t forget to tag @rootsandshoots and @janegoodallinst! 

• Inspire Others: Encourage your friends, family, and followers to participate by sharing their own positive actions 

Step 1: Choose #GoodAllDay Action 

Jane is often asked, “What can I do to help?” It can seem overwhelming to face the world’s problems head-on, but when you start small in your local community, anyone can make a difference! Our youth action program, Roots & Shoots, provides young people with the tools and resources — like our 🔗 4-step formula for starting a project — to break larger issues down into manageable actions that they can take by themselves or with their friends! 

“Roots creep underground to make a firm foundation. Shoots seem new and small, but to reach the light they can break through brick walls.” – Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace 

The Roots & Shoots program is rooted in the idea that every individual can make a positive difference for people, other animals, and the environment. Here are a few suggestions to help you find a #GoodAllDay action that resonates with you:  

Projects for People 

• Random Acts of Kindness: Brighten someone’s day with a small act of kindness such as complimenting a stranger, holding the door open, or helping someone carry groceries —🔗 make kindness a habit today! 

• Social Justice Education: Read up on a social justice movement you want to learn more about — for example, climate justice, queer rights, or healthcare equity — and host a study group or book club to explore the topic with friends! Take inspiration from this 🔗 anti-bias book festival. 

Projects for Animals 

• Wildlife Habitat Preservation: 🔗 Create a wildlife refuge in your backyard by installing bird feeders, bee hotels, butterfly gardens, or bat boxes to support local wildlife populations! 

• Animal Welfare Awareness: Spread awareness about animal welfare issues by sharing educational resources, hosting virtual seminars, or organizing film screenings on topics like animal cruelty and conservation. For example, 🔗 is that social post of a chimpanzee “ape-propriate” to share? 

• Animal Shelter Aid: Extend your support to animal shelters by volunteering for care or providing expert services. You can foster pets in need of temporary homes, or even 🔗 make enrichment toys for them to enjoy while they wait for their fur-ever homes! 

Projects for the Environment 

• Plastic Waste Reduction: Take steps to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, upcycle old items, or properly recycle household waste. Check out our 🔗 waste audit guide to get started! 

• Greening Events: 🔗 Organize a community “greening” event such as native tree planting or pollinator-friendly flower planting in your neighborhood green spaces or backyard. Good for the environment, and fun for the community! 

• Carbon Footprint Cutbacks: Try carpooling to reduce carbon emissions and being mindful of energy usage by 🔗 turning off lights and appliances when not in use. 

You know what the best part is? Since, as Jane says, we are all connected in a tapestry of life, your project will naturally help all three: people, animals, and the environment! For example, a pollinator garden helps wildlife by providing nourishment and shelter for pollinating insects. It helps people by providing a beautiful addition to the community. It also helps the environment by supporting pollinators that will also pollinate other plants outside of the garden!  

Step 2: Share Your Impact 

Once you’ve selected your project, ask yourself if this could be a community event — many hands make light work, after all! Share the details (what, where, when) beforehand on social media, in your local newspaper, or even through flyers at community buildings like your local library to invite folks to join in. 

Then, when your project is complete, share photos or videos on social media on April 3 using the hashtag #GoodAllDay to join the global celebration. Don’t forget to tag us @rootsandshoots and @janegoodallinst for a chance to be featured on our story! 

Extra credit: Add your positive actionto the 🔗 Tapestry of Hope, our interactive mapping tool that weaves together individual stories of positive change from around the world! See yourself as part of this larger web of changemakers. 

Step 3: Inspire Others

Last but not least, encourage your friends, family, and followers to participate by sharing their own positive actions and impacts! You can share this blog post with them, or ask for input on your project idea. The 🔗 Roots & Shoots 4-step formula to creating an impactful community project starts with Step 1: Get inspired; by inspiring others, you are creating a domino effect of impact around your community and even the world! 

Whatever you decide to do this #GoodAllDay and beyond, make Jane proud by turning hope into actions that brighten lives and make our world a better place.  

Photo credits, in order of appearance: YMA Xiaogang, RSYC member Esha K., A California Roots & Shoots group, Roots & Shoots member Bazel P., David Montejano