24 | Empower Engagement Locally and Globally
GLOBAL AMBASSADOR Jane Goodall Visits CDNIS A visit by highly respected primatologist and environmentalist Jane Goodall to Canadian International School of Hong Kong for the annual Roots & Shoots Youth Summit proved to be a hit, with some 400 students from local and international schools in Hong Kong attending the special event. Well known for her 55-year long study of the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees, Dr. Goodall has long been recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on the species. Her unorthodox research methods and findings may have challenged long-standing beliefs and conventions of the past, but her close bond with the mammals also saw her becoming the first and only person, to this day, to be accepted into chimpanzee society.
While delivering her speech on promoting environmentalism, the primatologist and environmentalist shared humorous stories from her youth, and detailed how her keen sense of curiosity and nevergive-up attitude helped her realise her dreams. Goodall also touched upon the importance of establishing better understanding of animal and environment conservation through education – the very foundation of the Roots & Shoots programme. “I went to Cambridge for my PhD in ethology, and I met plenty of resistance from my professors who maintained that animals were incapable of having emotions or thinking rationally, because according to them, those were unique to only humans,” said Dr. Goodall.
“However, [during my study of the] chimp society, I noticed that there were both good and bad mothers. The good mothers are affectionate, playful and most importantly supportive. Just like my mother and this makes such a difference. The offspring of supportive mothers tend to do better – the males rise to higher positions in the hierarchy, while the females become more successful mothers!” The short Q&A session which followed gave an honored opportunity to a number of lucky students to pick Dr. Goodall’s brain, as she spoke about the funniest memory that she remembers, as well as the things that she missed most about working with Chimpanzees. “What I miss most is being out in the forest,” revealed the