Seeing Ecosystems Decline and Its Emotional Impact

"Every single day you live you make a difference in the world, and you get to choose the difference that you make." — Jane Goodall

Last week, when I heard that Jane Goodall had died, it knocked the wind out of me. It hit me as more than a loss; it felt like the end of an era. A naturalist, a deep thinker, an expert, and so elegant, Jane's animals, of nature, set the bar for how much we each could and should devote ourselves to preserving life on Earth.

Amid the outpourings on social media this comment struck me: “I want to live in a country where the flags are flown at half mast for Jane Goodall.” YES.

In 2021, I was a guest on Jane's podcast called The Hopecast. I couldn’t let myself just be interviewed by her — how absurd for me to be the one doing all the talking when with such a luminary! — so it was a conversation.

I’m so glad to get to share her voice with you; a reflection of her abundant soft power. She titled this episode “Hope is Courage and Taking Action Together.” (Note: I do not recommend debating the value of hope with Jane Goodall!)

Video clips from this episodes are in my newsletter: ayanaelizabeth.substack.com.

Credits: Thank you to the Jane Goodall Institute for producing this original conversation, Remoy Philip for producing the version for this podcast, and assistant producer Jenisha Shrestha.

CALL TO ACTION: Support the continuation of Jane’s work by encouraging a young person or educator to get involved with her Roots & Shoots organization. There are tons of resources for organizing and action on their website. Taking action to protect and restore nature is by far the best way to honor Jane’s incredibly legacy.