Planet's fragility focus of Goodall's convocation address
Renowned primatologist receives U of T honorary degree
World-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall received an honorary doctor of science degree and spoke to graduates of the University of Toronto's School of Graduate Studies at U of T's Nov 13 convocation.
Goodall told graduands she felt joy in their joy and as she had come so close to talking with the animals, she wanted to greet them as a joyful chimpanzee would. Puffing out her chest and letting out several high-pitched chimp calls, Goodall's uncannily accurate portrayal of her beloved animals delighted grads and their family members.
Jane Goodall receives an honorary degree as Dean Tattersall Smith (left) and Chancellor David Peterson look on.
Goodall, who is also a conservationist and a UN Messenger of Peace, began her pioneering research into the behaviour of wild chimpanzees in Africa in 1960. Her conscientious observations of chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania transformed our understanding of our closest animal relatives and made us re-evalute what it means to be human.
Goodall spoke of the similarities and differences between humans and chimpanzees, which she referred to as "our ambassadors from the animal kingdom."
"I mentioned how like chimpanzees we are; chimpanzees can do things intellectually that we never thought they could but you cannot compare the intellect of even the brightest chimp to that of the average human being. We have somehow developed our intellect to this explosive level so we've been able to develop technology that can take us to the moon but that can also destroy the planet," she said. "It's so important to talk about what are we doing to the planet.
"So if we are the most intellectual beings that have ever walked this planet, how come we are destroying it?" she asked. Goodall spoke of her grandchildren and society's lack of wisdom.
"It isn't that we don't love our children. We've just become caught up in this materialistic society where so many people are living for money rather than realizing we just need some money to live."
Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 in order to combat the rapid degradation of critical habitat for chimpanzees and other African wildlife. Today, the institute has evolved into a dynamic international organization that supports wildlife research, conservation and education around the world. The Canadian branch is housed at U of T through a partnership with the Centre for the Environment.
In her youth, Goodall dreamed of going to Africa to live with animals, and she fulfilled that dream. Now "Dr. Jane," as many children call her, spends about 300 days of the year travelling, carrying her message of conservation around the world, visiting chimpanzee sanctuaries and meeting young people involved in her Roots & Shoots environmental education program, which now has over 8,000 groups in more than 100 countries.
Goodall encouraged the graduands, too, to have the courage of their convictions as her mother had encouraged her. It is difficult to overstate the results of Goodall's convictions, which have changed and enriched the field primatology. Her work has taught hundreds of thousands of people about chimpanzees.