Jane Goodall Marks 50th Anniversary of Her Research with Lecture at University of Toronto

World-famous primatologist, environmentalist and UN Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall will deliver a public lecture at the University of Toronto at 7pm on Friday, April 9, 2010.

2010 marks a monumental milestone for the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and its founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE. Fifty years ago, Dr. Goodall first set foot on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in what is now Tanzania’s Gombe National Park. The chimpanzee behavioural research she pioneered there has produced a wealth of scientific discovery, and her vision has expanded into a global mission to empower people to make a difference for all living things.

“It is hard to believe that 50 years have passed since I began my study of the chimpanzees of Gombe,” said Dr. Jane Goodall. “Half a century of amazing discoveries have helped us redefine our place in the natural world. And most amazing of all is knowing how much more the chimpanzees have to teach us. I look forward to moving into the next half century.”

In her presentation, 50 Years of Chimps and Change, Dr. Goodall will reflect—both personally and professionally—on the meaning of the past five decades, the extraordinary changes the world has seen since 1960, and the impact these changes have had on people, animals and the environment we all share. In addition, she will discuss the role we must all play over the next 50 years to ensure a better future for generations to come.

Dr. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to support her research work at Gombe. Today, the Institute has evolved into a dynamic international organization that supports wildlife research, conservation and education around the world.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit the work of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, founded in 1993, which runs significant conservation programs in Africa and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program in Canada. Roots & Shoots is global youth action program which operates in more than 100 countries. There are more than 320 active Roots & Shoots groups in Canada, working on hands-on action projects to benefit humans, animals and the environment in their communities.

This lecture is presented in by the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada in partnership with the Royal Ontario Museum and the Centre for Environment, University of Toronto as part of the Museum’s Biodiversity: Slice of Life Lecture Series with support from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and The Globe and Mail.

For more information please visit www.janegoodall.ca