The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) invites you to an evening with renowned researcher and trail-blazing conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger for Peace, on Thursday 1 May 2014 from 7pm at Edinburgh’s Assembly Hall.
‘Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope’ is Jane’s only public event in Scotland this year to celebrate her 80th birthday, and is a partnership between RZSS, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and the University of Edinburgh. All proceeds will go to benefit the Jane Goodall Institute UK’s conservation programmes in Africa, and to support more than a million active UK members of her Roots & Shoots initiative, the global humanitarian and environmental programme inspiring young people of all ages to help make the world a better place.
The event is the public launch of RZSS’s Tribal Elders: Words of Wisdom series, an ongoing series of events featuring some of the world’s most inspiring and innovative people on the planet. The series aims to rekindle the ancient tradition of oral storytelling between elders and younger generations, and will offer a unique platform to distil the wisdom of a lifetime. As the inaugural tribal elder, Jane will pass on the baton on to broadcaster and zoologist Aubrey Manning, OBE, who will be the second Tribal Elder featured in the series, on Thursday 23 October 2014.
As one of the most legendary conservationists of our time, Jane will share her most candid thoughts on the future of conservation, guidance on navigating the current threats the world faces, and above all, heartfelt reasons to maintain hope despite growing and often overwhelming odds.
The evening will also provide an opportunity to listen to Jane as she speaks about her lifetime of work with the Gombe chimpanzees, including highlights from some of her most unique experiences from the field. She will also discuss the future of chimpanzees in the wild and the threats they face from devastating habitat loss, as well as the battle against illegal wildlife trade in ivory and rhino horn.
Chris West, CEO for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said:
“It is a great honour to work in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and the University of Edinburgh to bring to Scotland a true conservation pioneer. Listening to Jane speak about her experiences and the future is truly a unique experience and she has great wisdom she can share with the audience. While Jane will talk about her work with chimpanzees in the field, the evening will predominantly focus on the need for optimism as well as action in today’s current climate. As we will be donating all proceeds from the evening to the Jane Goodall Institute UK, by attending people are directly contributing to its vital conservation work.”
Jane, who celebrated her 80th birthday on 3 April, is known for her revolutionary studies on the Gombe chimpanzees in Tanzania. In accepting this RZSS invitation Jane said:
“I feel very privileged to be invited to be the inaugural Tribal Elder in this fascinating new RZSS series which will honour the oral tradition connecting generations. RZSS also happens to be amongst the leading research organisations in the field of primates, and chimpanzees in particular, with a strong conservation field station in Budongo, Uganda.”
Jane’s work with the Gombe chimpanzees during the 1960s brought ground-breaking knowledge of the species and the close evolutionary and behavioural bonds shared between chimpanzees and humans. Her observations of watching chimpanzees use sticks to eat termites dispelled the belief that only humans create tools. She went on to found the Jane Goodall Institute UK in 1988 with the aim of working to conserve wild chimpanzees in the face of extensive habitat destruction.
Today, Jane continues her tireless work by spreading the message of the threats faced by chimpanzees as well as other environmental crises, urging her audiences to understand the importance of personal responsibility and how each individual can help make a difference.
Event Details: ‘Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope’, Thursday 1 May 2014 7pm to 9pm at the University of Edinburgh New College, Assembly Hall, Edinburgh EH1 2LU. Tickets for the event are £15, £12 concession for RZSS Members, Edinburgh University Students and Roots & Shoots Members (prices inclusive of booking fee). Advance booking is strongly recommended. To book tickets please click here.
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