Elisabeth Werby, Executive Director of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, introduces the tenth annual Roger Tory Peterson Memorial Lecture; Jane Goodall's "Reason for Hope in a Complex World." Inaugurated in 1997, the Memorial Lecture commemorates Peterson's work as a pioneering naturalist and his efforts to conserve our planet's biological diversity.

One of Goodall's students was Dr. Richard Wrangham, now the Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology, curator of primate behavioral biology at Harvard University, and a leading researcher on primate ecology, evolution, and behavior.

Jane Goodall went to Africa in 1957. Once there, she persuaded anthropologist Louis B. Leakey to hire her to research primates, and she began her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in 1960. Since then, Goodall has published 80 scientific articles, 23 books, and 14 movies and television series. "She is perhaps the most famous woman scientist in the world," Wrangham said.

Goodall's fame grows from three sources. Her early publications with National Geographic made her pioneering field work accessible to a large audience, who learned about chimpanzees' use of tools, their meat eating, and their personalities. This work has inspired generations of researchers, particularly women.Goodall is also an iconoclast who has challenged received wisdom, and has not shied away from describing chimps as having emotions and personalities - even though she was accused of anthropomorphizing chimps. Finally, she is a passionate advocate for ecological conservation, humane treatment of captive animals, and peace throughout the world.

From 1968 to 1986 Goodall published articles and books that formed the scientific basis for chimpanzee studies. These works are also essential texts in ethology, the study of animal behaviors. "She helped to create the field of ethology as applied to complex social creatures," Wrangham said. She is still publishing, working with the state-of-the-art center for the study of chimpanzees she began at the University of Minnesota. "She has not stopped," Wrangham said.

Harvard University Marshall Jackie O'Neill presents the Roger Tory Peterson Award medal to Dr. Jane Goodall. "[She has] in her extraordinary contributions and unwavering dedication to our closest non-human relatives, the chimpanzees, has redefined man's place in the world," said O'Neill. "She... exemplifies the mission of the Harvard Museum of Natural History: to enhances the public's understanding and appreciation of the natural world, and to ignite the spark of curiosity, discovery, and a lifetime of learning in all of us."

Goodall recalled the story of the little jenny wren bird, who rose above all other birds by riding on the back of an eagle. The staff of the Jane Goodall Institute - including Wrangham and Dr. E. O. Wilson, who serve on the advisory board - help to realize Goodall's vision.

Goodall describes four teachers who helped her live out her dream of animal research. Her mother, Vanne, always encouraged her interests, even when as a four-year-old she disappeared for hours to discover how a hen lays eggs. When the colonial authorities frowned on a woman living alone in the jungle studying chimps, Vanne accompanied Jane to Africa for her first solo research and set up a medical clinic to serve the local village.

Louis B. Leakey had faith in Goodall's work, and "stuck his neck out" to help her. The chimpanzee David Graybeard was the first great ape to show Goodall that chimps could use tools - in this case, a stick to push into holes to capture termites. "He was the individual who gave me my breakthrough observation that enabled me - or Louis Leakey actually - to go to [the] National Geographic Society when my first six month's funding ran out," Goodall said. The fourth teacher who showed her that animals do have minds and personalities was Goodall's childhood dog, Rusty.

Chimpanzees and humans form a community: we share behaviors, personality traits - and blood. Chimps are closely related enough to humans that they can share blood transfusions and catch diseases like polio and Ebola virus. Chimps also use many "human" nonverbal signs: they kiss, embrace, pat each other on the back. "A naive person can watch things and understand what's going on," Goodall said.

There are long-lasting bonds between chimps mothers and their children. Children of "good mothers" who play with and support their children tend to get high positions in chimp communities; punitive chimp mothers raise tense, nervous children who do not do so well. Despite these differences, the total number of chimps at the Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania has stayed constant throughout Goodall's years there.

Chimpanzees and humans share a tendency towards violence. The chimps in Gombe, where Goodall performed most of her field work, had a "civil war" where one community annihilated another over the course of four years. "We [humans] have inherited aggressive tendencies, but I don't think war and violence is inevitable," Goodall said.

Despite these common problems, chimps also share long-term supportive bonds. Goodall recounts an ancient mother chimp jumping down to help her adult son battle two attackers - who were so surprised that they abandoned the fight. If a chimp is orphaned, an unrelated female in the community may adopt the young chimp, giving it a chance to survive. "Because these chimpanzees make us realize absolutely that we're not the only beings on the planet with personalities, minds, and feelings, it helps to blur that line that used to be considered so sharp, [with] humans on one side, and all the rest of the animal kingdom on the other," said Goodall.

At the same time, chimpanzees won't sit still for lectures, Goodall said. Only humans have language for talking about the distant past, the distant future - and discussing ideas, and changing minds.

"[The human intellect] should put us in a position of responsibility on the planet," Goodall said,"...We should be good stewards of this precious planet, but we're not, are we?" Humans have caused deforestation which has reduced the population of chimpanzees from one million in 1960 to less than 150,000 today. Just outside the Gombe park where Goodall studies chimpanzees, almost all trees have been destroyed. Goodall saw that "there were far too many people for the land to support."

Goodall began the Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education project (TACARE) to help the entire ecosystem, including the humans who live outside the park. Through tree nurseries and reforestation, scholarships for girls, microcredit loans, and HIV/AIDS clinics, TACARE is improving the lives of local residents. "The people now think we care about them, not just monkeys," Goodall said. With TACARE's help, 10-20% of the land in local villages is being restored to reduce floods and droughts, and so that chimpanzees can travel through corridors of trees. One day, they may again contact other chimps, and share their genetic diversity, reducing the perils of inbreeding. TACARE is also working to reduce the trade in "bushmeat" - meat from illegally obtained from wild animals, including chimps.

Goodall also started traveling more in Africa, observing worsening floods, droughts, and other signs of environmental devastation. She met many young people who had lost hope, and were angry at previous generations for compromising their future. In response, Goodall has given young people a way to help the planet. She founded Roots and Shoots, a youth-driven organization which helps young people discover how to work to improve their local community, aid animals, and restore their environment. "The roots provide the firm foundation, and the tiny shoots can break through walls," Goodall said.

Roots and Shoots now has 9,000 groups in 90 countries. Youth in Roots and Shoots work on projects to improve their local communities, animal welfare in all its forms, and the environment. The groups are youth-driven; youth choose what to explore. They have a lasting impact on their communities, whether they choose to protect wetlands, aid dogs in shelters (a popular project in China), or implement local recycling programs.

Goodall is frequently asked, "Do you really have hope for the future?" Yes, she answers, "I'm very hopeful for the future if and only if more and more people around the world wake up to the fact that we really have harmed the planet and that there's something we can do about it." The young people who are working to solve the planet's problems, the human intellect as we finally begin to recognize the effect humans have on the environment, the resilience of nature - once it is given the chance to heal - and the indomitable human spirit - all give Goodall hope.

Part of our problem is the "disconnect between brain and heart," Goodall said. At the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit in 2000 there was no discussion of the environment by any of the thousand delegates from 100 countries - except by the indigenous people from nine countries, who were watching their land changing. "We have a planet where children get sick from breathing, drinking, and eating." Goodall said.

Still, humans persevere. "I haven't met a problem anywhere where there wasn't a person or a group of dedicated people working for little or no money, risking their health, risking even losing their lives, as they seek for justice," Goodall said. Goodall cites Nelson Mandela's strength and courage throughout his imprisonment - and also a man who jumped into a zoo moat to rescue a chimp named Jojo from drowning. When asked why he risked his life, the man said, “I looked into his eyes,” he said later. “It was like looking into the eyes of a man. And the message was: Won’t anybody help me?” Goodall has seen that look in the eyes of children whose parents have been killed, orphan chimps, and dolphins, elephants, and dogs in circuses, medical research labs, and zoos. We must help those eyes, those faces, Goodall said. "It's our only hope for a planet for our great great grandkids."

Thank you for your belief in youth empowerment and youth leadership. I’m wondering, since zoos are such terrible environments for animals, and even when it’s a great environment for one animal, often times when I visit a zoo, I see animal suffering and pacing around and they’re just in terrible enclosures. You’re the president of an organization in Europe that advocates against people going to zoos and paying to go to zoos, yet you often speak at zoos. So I’m wondering if you ever struggle with the decision to seemingly support and speak at such institutions?

Human history spans 5000 years, yet a short period compared to the lifespan of the Earth, which has existed for much longer. Do you think the Earth will retaliate in a way, due to the destructive behavior of humans?

Can you talk a little about trying to counter the corporate domination of political, economic and environmental policy around the world?

Dr. Goodall, part of the reason you’ve had such an impact is your dedication to reaching out to the non-scientific community. What advice do you have for people, particularly for scientists, who really need to get an idea across to the public?

I know for many of us who read your book in our twenties, your comments about mothering were particularly helpful and probably influenced mothering a whole generation, some of whom may be sitting here now. I wondered if you’ll talk a little bit more about whether that was an uphill battle as a scientist to bring that into your work, and also whether you get feedback from people like me who found it was extremely useful advice?