In a rare opportunity last month, I got the chance to see Dr. Jane Goodall, primatologist and conservationist, give a lecture on her life, as part of Winter Park Institute’s, Ideas in Residence program.
When I was little I used to watch National Geographic shows with my mother where we’d learn about foreign cultures, animals and nature, international discoveries and other exciting explorations. It’s no wonder I thought the chance to see Dr. Jane Goodall would be amazing — and it truly was.
To hear someone with so many amazing and unique experiences speak about their life was inspirational. Dr. Goodall took us through her childhood, explaining how she came from modest beginnings with only a dream and the support of her mother, to somehow remarkably find her way to Africa and the chance to explore her passion of being with the apes.
Her personal stories were funny, charming and even a little emotional at times.We learned how as a child the story Tarzan of the Apes, first sparked her desires to travel to Africa. She even confided in us that she was hopelessly jealous of Tarzan’s wife, Jane. It seems as a young girl she was adamant that she’d have been a much better mate for the king of the jungle. We also heard details about many of Dr. Goodall’s field stories in the jungle and her work on her foundation the Jane Goodall Institute. It was fascinating hearing about her observations of the apes and her work as a conservationist and humanitarian.
During the lecture Dr. Goodall also took the time to promote the Disney Nature documentary Chimpanzee. This documentary, according to Dr. Goodall, is a phenomenal look into a community of chimpanzee’s, deep in the jungle. The film share’s the story of a baby chimpanzee, named Oscar, and his difficult journey for survival after a tragedy occurs within his community.
I finally had the chance to go see the documentary last weekend and it was beautifully done. The shots of the jungle are breathtaking and Oscar is just absolutely, positively adorable. I mean really really adorable!! You’ll just wanna eat him up! Being able to observe how he and the community of chimpanzee’s interact with each other was also extremely interesting. You can checkout the trailer for the movie below. The documentary has already been out since April 20th, so you’ll need to hurry if you want to check it out before it leaves theaters!
Lastly, for those of you who missed it, The Winter Park Institute posted Dr. Jane Goodall’s lecture on their site. I definitely recommend taking a listen to this remarkable women. You can also checkout the Jane Goodall Institute, for more information on her continued work to make the world a better place.