PANT HOOT 2023
Together, we are witnessing and responding in stride to the challenges and positive changes happening all around us. In that spirit, we find even greater inspiration to deliver on our mission to turn hope into action. One of Jane’s greatest reasons for hope is the resilience of nature, and after years of a difficult pandemic, growing inequities, and environmental destruction, what better way to embody the possibility of that resilience than through focusing on
regrowth, community, innovation, and compassion? This 2023 spring season brings plenty of opportunities to grow our local and global community, help our remarkable, holistic programs blossom, and plant plenty of good along the way — with you by our side. With Jane on the road once more to spread her message of hope and nature finding a way, we are sending you joy and gratitude for making a difference with us every year, every season, and every day. We hope you enjoy these updates for the first part of 2023, and look forward to the rest of the year!
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Goodall was quarantined in her childhood home in Bournemouth, England. An abrupt shift for Jane — who typically travelled over 300 days per year before 2020 — who quickly pivoted to sharing her message virtually. Finding the light in the dark of this time, Dr. Goodall was able to amplify her message through digital channels like never before, seeking out new audiences and new ways to underscore what she has always said, that “we must live harmoniously with the natural world and turn things around before it is too late.” Luckily, during part of last year and heading into 2023, Dr. Goodall has been able to get back on the road, doing what she loves most — connecting directly with global audiences so that they may feel their own power to create positive change in their lives, and our world. This spring, Dr. Goodall grew a movement of good across the United States including her first stop in Denver, Colorado, where she spoke at the Bellco Theatre and participated in a Roots & Shoots event at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science ahead of the “Becoming Jane” exhibit making its way there this May. Jane
also spoke at a sold-out university lecture in Madison, Wisconsin, before heading to Illinois for an incredible event at the Chicago Theater. Next, Jane went south to Tampa, Florida, with a Roots & Shoots lecture event titled, Growing a Compassionate & Sustainable Future for All: An Evening with Dr. Goodall — building excitement as the home of a new Roots & Shoots Basecamp — and a special fundraising dinner. After a brief visit to another sold-out show at Florida International University in Miami, for Jane’s birthday and annual Earth Month celebrations, Jane headed to New York City for sensational lectures and fundraising events. Finally, Jane landed in lovely Los Angeles, with events that touched hearts and minds, and grew the Roots & Shoots network — another home to a developing Roots & Shoots Basecamp. Along the way, Jane is also supporting her forthcoming IMAX film titled Reasons for Hope, and the Apple TV+ series Jane about a young girl named Jane García inspired by Dr. Goodall. This tour has been one of the biggest in recent years, with Jane reaching thousands in person and through exciting features on the Jimmy Kimmel show and more!
To learn more and keep up with Jane
check janegoodall.org/wheresjane and follow us on social @JaneGoodall on Facebook and @JaneGoodallInst on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
YOUNG JANE GARCIA INSPIRED BY DR. GOODALL
Jane, a 10-episode missiondriven series for kids and families inspired by the work of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, is focused on a young girl named Jane García. Through her imagination and adventures with friends, she learns about endangered species and how they can be protected. Featuring journeys with imaginary and virtually-rendered wildlife, this series will inspire generations to understand young people’s relationship
to the planet and to take action through movements like JGI’s Roots & Shoots program. The series will emphasize the message of García’s idol, Dr. Jane Goodall: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, can they be saved.” From Emmy Award-winning Sinking Ship Entertainment and the Jane Goodall Institute, Jane was made available globally on Friday, April 14 on Apple TV+.
Every year, Dr. Goodall is celebrated for both Earth Month and her birthday — April 3rd! This year Jane turned a remarkable 89 years old. Dr. Goodall has witnessed so much change over her lifetime, some difficult and some incredibly wonderful! In honor of her birthday, Dr. Goodall and JGI reflect on all the incredible things learned in the forests of Gombe — from Jane’s earliest observations over 60 years ago to today — including the importance of every individual in the rich tapestry of life on Earth. Celebrate Jane’s living legacy by joining #JanesGenerationHope to support ongoing, groundbreaking science in Gombe Stream Research Center, and join the global JGI movement demonstrating how much we can do together for a better future.
Each year, we are reminded of the power of young people to turn hope into action through Roots & Shoots community projects that make the world better for people, other animals, and the planet we share. Our Roots & Shoots grants offer a helping hand to young people — and adult mentors, educators and parents — by providing ways to remove barriers to participation and increase the impact of their great ideas. We prioritize funding for those in underserved and underrepresented communities, finding ways to ensure that the creativity and passion of all young people to make a difference is equitably supported. In addition to increasing our grant amount for initial funding to $250, we added two brand new funding opportunities in the form of our Educator Grants and Roots & Shoots National Youth Leadership Council Member Grants — $500 and $1000, respectively. We’re thrilled to be able to offer these additional resources to our inspiring community of changemakers — 261 were awarded in 2022 — and we can’t wait to share more stories of their work!
The power of young people is one of Dr. Jane Goodall’s favorite reasons for hope, and JGI’s Roots & Shoots program keeps that hope alive. Every month, we feature stories from particularly inspiring Roots & Shoots projects around the USA, like ‘Hope Festival,’ in Seattle, Washington! This Roots & Shoots group was inspired by Dr. Goodall to use the Roots & Shoots 4-Step Formula to make a big difference.
Step 1: Get Inspired was already done! Step 2: Observing community, they saw how Seattle’s unhoused population — the third-largest in the US — was unable to gain access to necessary resources for health and happiness. They then followed Step 3: Take Action by organizing a “Hope Festival” that provided free goods and services from businesses and individuals in the community — everything from food and toiletries, to health screenings. They also ensured that this support would continue long past the festival by connecting community members to local organizations offering mental health support, domestic violence help, food security, employment assistance, and more. By starting what has become an annual Step 4: Celebration of hope, this Roots & Shoots group has reminded us all of what it means to create a community of compassion. Want to become a member of Roots & Shoots? Join today (it’s always free!) at rootsandshoots.org/register
STORIES FROM TCHIMPOUNGA’S CHIMPANZEES
The Jane Goodall Institute created the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of the Congo as a safe haven for second chances in 1992. Since that time, hundreds of endangered, orphaned chimpanzees have been rescued and given a new family, as well as dozens of vital wildlife species including parrots, mandrill monkeys, and the most trafficked animal in the world: the pangolin. Saved from the illegal wildlife trade, these animals are nurtured as individuals and provided the physical, emotional, and social support to thrive. As a bestin- class facility innovating in animal welfare and captive practices, Tchimpounga uses its own ‘Triangle Approach,’ to work with law enforcement, increase environmental awareness, and establish world-renowned wildlife welfare practices at the sanctuary, influencing the global community. Thanks to the support of our generous friends, partners and donors like you, they are finding hope once more. These are their stories.
OLD RIVALS AND NEW ALLIES
Like humans, the personalities of chimpanzees can sometimes clash. Innovative work at Tchimpounga focused on personality profiles helped transition over 100 chimpanzees to functioning groups of unrelated rescued chimpanzees on the sanctuary’s islands, but sometimes individuals can still find ways to heighten tensions! This was the case when three rowdy young males, Alex, Zola, and Makassi, started causing trouble on Tchindzoulou Island. These three started becoming rough with dominant males Kefan and Tchivanga, as well as the lower-ranking group members. As a result, they were moved briefly to Ngombe Island, but when the chimpanzees there rejected them, the team at Tchimpounga decided to move the juvenile males back to Tchindzoulou. There was continued uneasiness at first, but after hard diplomatic work from both Kefan and dominant female, Wounda, the three seem to be showing Kefan respect and behaving peacefully with others.
GROWING UP CHIMPANZEE!
Fighting for a dominant position in the chimpanzee hierarchy can start at a very young age, and as our baby group at Tchimpounga starts to grow up, some competition is already forming. George is the largest and strongest of the group, so he has started asserting himself on his closest potential rivals—Kabi and Vienna. Kabi will also engage in this competition, but Vienna wants no part of it for now, preferring to stay away from George when he’s in a bad mood. On the one occasion when Vienna did stand up against George, it created a divide in alliances between the members of this “baby” group, and an important peek into the future group dynamics between these young chimpanzees.
FRIENDS FROM ANGOLA
Tchimpounga recently welcomed eight new rescued chimpanzees from Angola. For many years, JGI-RoC has been helping the government of Angola care for the growing number of chimpanzees confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. To avoid overwhelming the newcomers, the baby group was split by age; five of the chimpanzees from Angola were integrated into a group with Perrine, Zeze, and Covid, leaving older members Kabi, George, and Vienna to interact with a sixth. Everyone’s getting used to this new setup, and expert caretakers know that this is the best approach to keep everyone happy and safe.
Want to support the life-changing care and programs of JGI’s Tchimpounga Sanctuary?
Become or gift a Chimpanzee Guardian today at shop.janegoodall.org/chimpguardian
Over 60 years ago, Dr. Goodall forever changed how we see humans in relation to the rest of the animal kingdom. She observed one chimpanzee, David Greybeard, using a stick to fish termites out from their mound; suddenly, humans weren’t the only toolmakers. Today, research into chimpanzee tool use continues. In a recent article entitled “Behavioral and cognitive perspectives on the evolution of tool use from wild chimpanzees,” Elizabeth Lonsdorf and Crickette Sanz explore how observations of chimpanzee tool use can give us unique insight into how tool use—and to a broader extent, culture—evolved in our early ancestors!
SIGNATURE PANT HOOTS
As we learn more about our closest living relatives, we see ever more examples of how we are alike, including unique personalities. In “Chimpanzee pant-hoots encode individual information more reliably than group differences,” Nisarg Desai, Pawel Fedurek, Katie Slocombe, and Michael L. Wilson set out to see if vocal learning allowed chimpanzee groups to form unique dialects. While this didn’t appear to be the case, they did learn how the “pant hoot” call—which Dr. Goodall so often demonstrates during her lectures—varies from individual to individual, serving as a unique marker of one chimpanzee’s presence!
Support the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in the world and more by becoming a Gombe Science Hero today at shop.janegoodall.org/gombe-science-heroes
COMMUNITY-LED CONSERVATION — TACARE
SUCCESS IN VIKONGE: TACARE BRINGS THE NEEDS OF NATURE AND PEOPLE TOGETHER
Through JGI’s Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) program, funded by USAID, the Vikonge community has been utilizing JGI’s communityled conservation approach known as Tacare. In this framework, JGI supports local communities in addressing human needs alongside conservation targets to develop plans that grow sustainability outcomes for all. Vikonge has been making great strides in growing its sustainability with creative solutions to the underlying issues that cause harm to both people and ecosystems. To tackle a demand for livelihoods and the threat of deforestation at the same time, through the introduction of and training on technology like Esri’s Survey123 application for smartphones, local Forest Monitors have been able to more efficiently track and report incidents, including illegal logging, charcoal burning, and establishing farms or settlements in forest reserves. To focus on one of the main drivers of the threat of deforestation — soil infertility — JGI collaborated with communities to develop a social campaign (developed with Impact by Design) establishing compost as a solution. As a result, there have been fewer incidents of farming in forest reserves as the practice of composting continues to gain overwhelming popularity. According to Neema Mbuya, the JGI Tanzania LCWT field agent at Vikonge village, compost application has protected the Mnimba Forest Reserve, with many community members finding increased soil fertility on
their existing plots, abandoning distant farms that used to encroach on these forest reserves.
GEMA SABUNWE HAS HOPE FOR HEALTHY FAMILY PLANNING
Gema Sabunwe is a lead farmer and compost ambassador with JGI’s Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) program, funded by USAID, in Rulinga community, and she is also a Community Health Worker (CHW). JGI has always had a strong central foundation of understanding that when gender equity is achieved, the entire community and world benefits across social and environmental issues. When Gema learned that JGI provided family planning resources, she saw this as an opportunity to improve the health of her community. As she explained, mortality rates for expectant mothers and for children under five years old was very high. Now, Gema is part of the solution, counseling many of her community members with family planning and reproductive education, and allowing them to make the best decisions for the health and happiness of their family. “There is a significant reduction of death for children under the age of five and expectant mothers,” Gema stressed. She noted, “I want to close this chapter in the Rulinga village soon. Zero maternal death is within reach.”
Learn more about our latest good news updates from our programs and beyond at news.janegoodall.org.
