Honouring Jane Goodall: Carrying her torch forward
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Rainforest Rescue CEO, Branden Barber, reflects on the significance of Jane Goodall’s contribution to the wellbeing of our natural environment and what her passing means for the future of conservation and restoration.
The incomparable Dr Jane Goodall DBE, photographed in 2010. ©Nicolas Richoffer/Wikimedia Commons
Today, with heavy hearts, we at Rainforest Rescue acknowledge the passing of one of our greatest champions — Dr. Jane Goodall, who died on October 1, 2025, at age 91, of natural causes. Jane was more than a scientist or a conservationist — she was a guide. She reminded us, again and again, that wonder and responsibility go hand in hand. That to love the natural world is to protect it.
From the moment she stepped into the forests of Gombe in 1960 with nothing but a notebook, a pair of binoculars, and immense patience, Jane redefined what it meant to study animals. She revealed to the world that chimpanzees make and use tools, grieve their dead, laugh, fight, reconcile, and nurture their young with tenderness. She showed us that we are not alone in our capacity for emotion, intelligence, and community.
Her impact on conservation, and why her passing is so profound
Jane Goodall’s life helped shift conservation from a niche scientific pursuit to a deeply human and moral calling. She was the definition of a changemaker, and she was one of us. Because she framed wildlife not as “things to protect” but as beings with dignity, families, suffering, and beauty, she helped make conservation a cause that resonates in hearts, not just in treaties and reports.
The personal became political. Jane’s stories humanised habitat loss, deforestation, poaching—not abstract trends on graphs, but heartbreak in the forest. She fostered a generation of leaders. Roots & Shoots alone has touched millions of young people, giving them agency and a living connection to Earth’s future.
Jane was a powerful storyteller. She bridged science and soul. She spoke not just to the head but to the heart, making the lives of chimpanzees, and the forests they inhabit, real to millions of people who would never see them firsthand. And in doing so, she inspired a global movement for conservation.
Like many great anthropologists, Jane’s approach bridged science and story. Her fieldwork was rigorous; her voice was poetic; her advocacy rooted in both data and reverence. She wrote dozens of books — many for children — and appeared in or produced documentaries that engaged millions.
With Jane’s passing, we’ve lost a steady voice of wisdom and hope. But we haven’t lost what she taught us. That torch is in our hands now, and it’s our responsibility, and honour, to carry it further.
A Biodiversity emergency — and why we must act now
We face a terrible reality: our planet’s ecosystems are fraying fast. Scientists warn we are entering a sixth mass extinction, driven by humanity’s footprint.
- The Living Planet Report 2024 shows a catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations over the past 50 years.
- Freshwater species have declined ~85%, terrestrial ~69%, marine ~56%.
That’s like taking the music out of a forest — the birdsong gone silent.
These losses erode the very foundation of ecosystem services: pollination, clean water, carbon storage, climate resilience, even buffers against disease. And yet, our global food, energy, and commodity systems continue to accelerate habitat destruction, pollution, and climate stress.
And still, the funding response is far too small. The Minding the Gaps report from One Earth shows that while climate finance has doubled in the past decade, philanthropy directed to climate — and especially to nature-based solutions — remains less than 2% of global giving.
In short: the crisis vastly outstrips the response. Every square metre of forest lost, every species extinct, every area degraded…is a dimension of hope lost.
What her death means for the Conservation Movement
Jane Goodall’s passing is a loss of a moral North Star. Moving forward, I can only imagine that these challenges will become more acute:
- A void of moral authority. Her gentle but unwavering voice bridged science, ethics, and spirituality. We must now step in, collectively, to uphold that mantle.
- Rising urgency. As biodiversity collapse accelerates, the cost of delay grows. We will be pressed to do more, faster — and wiser.
- The guard shifts. Without her direct guidance, young leaders and local voices will need stronger platforms, mentorship, and support. We must all look to our inner Lorax and speak for Nature.
- Institutions must anchor continuity. The Jane Goodall Institute, Roots & Shoots, and conservation networks must be sustained and fortified. We have a tremendous, global constellation of conservation organisations; they all need our support, as we need theirs.
- Her passing is a summons: to match her steadiness with boldness, her patience with urgency, her moral compass with strategic resolve. We must be strengthened as we carry her share, together, and individually.
We must step up and we must speak up. Now more than ever.
Kurranji Bubu Nature Refuge, where the restored rainforest now merges with intact Daintree Rainforest. ©Martin Stringer/Rainforest Rescue
Carrying the torch in the Daintree
At Rainforest Rescue, we are doing our part, and we are striving to do more. There is no time to waste. In the Daintree, the world’s oldest rainforest, we are working with Traditional Owners, communities, and partners to protect and restore what must endure.
Our first restoration site at Kurranji Bubu, is now a declared Nature Refuge. Once fragmented and degraded, this land is thriving again. It stands as living proof that when we act with vision and persistence, Nature rebounds.
Our newest project is also our most ambitious yet: restoring the Daintree Oxbow, starting with 110 Cape Tribulation Rd. This once-vibrant landscape has been altered and diminished, but together we can bring biodiversity back, strengthening not only the rainforest, but also the local community and economy that depend on its health. With our new, large-scale nursery and our dedicated team, and with the support of our donors, we have what it takes to deliver this ecosystem back to the Daintree.
These projects embody the very essence of Jane’s legacy: science married with compassion, restoration rooted in justice, and a belief that Nature can—and should— flourish again if we give it the chance.
Stepping up, together
To all who believe in forests, rivers, species, people, climate, and future, Jane Goodall’s legacy is not a closed chapter. It is a charge. On her behalf, and on behalf of Earth’s wild places, we must do more.
Here is how we step forward, and how you can join us:
- Fund conservation at scale. Large, sustained investment must flow into forest protection, restoration, Indigenous rights, and biodiversity corridors.
- Channel resources to nature-based solutions. Restoring ecosystems offers some of the richest dividends in carbon capture, resilience, livelihoods, and biodiversity.
- Prioritise justice and rights. Indigenous nations and local communities are frontline stewards; their rights and governance must be central. Economic interests cannot continue to take precedence if we are to not only thrive, but to simply survive.
- Strengthen the movement. Support NGOs, networks, and education that carry this mission across generations.
- Raise your voice. Donors, citizens, educators, activists—all of us can amplify rainforest defenders and elevate policies that put Nature first.
- Act swiftly. The next 5–10 years are pivotal. Delay means tipping points passed, landscapes lost, momentum gone. There. Is. No. Time. To. Waste.
If ever there was a moment to align intent with scale, compassion with strategy, love with action, now is the time.
A final thought
Jane’s life was a testament to what one person’s love for nature can achieve. She showed us that science without compassion is incomplete, and that hope without action is empty. She carried herself with grace, humility, and unwavering determination, and the world is better because she did.
Going forward we honour her the only way that truly matters: by fighting harder for the forests, the wildlife, and the web of life that sustains us all.
May we carry her light into the dark places. May we keep the flame alive.
May we succeed as champions for Life itself.
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