One of my earliest journalism jobs involved researching and updating obituaries for public figures who had not yet died.
This macabre task is common in news circles. Newspapers and other publishers want the ability to publish obituaries for celebrities or politicians as quickly as possible, so they write them ahead of time, leaving the date, cause of death, and a quote from the deceased’s representatives or friends to be plugged in at the last minute.
That assignment only lasted a few weeks — I think I was filling in for someone on leave — but it sticks with me decades later. It taught me to keep looking at today through the lens of history and to keep details of the recent past at hand so I can return to them when they become timely or relevant again.
That said, I didn’t have an obituary prepared for Jane Goodall.
Hell, I wasn’t emotionally prepared for Goodall’s passing.
When word of her death last week at the age of 91 began spreading through social media and the news, I spent a few hours in deep, reflective melancholy.
But then I dusted myself off and got to work, preparing a new batch of conservation articles.
I could do that because of the lessons I took from Goodall’s legendary career: Never stop trying to make the world a better place. Every interaction you have makes a difference. And there’s always room for hope.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you,” she famously said. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
I never got a chance to interview Goodall, but her work has been present in everything I’ve done for the past 20-plus years. And it will remain present in the years to come — not just for me but for the whole conservation community.
That community has spent the past few days reflecting on Goodall’s passing and her legacy. Conservation writer Michelle Nijhaus wrote about Goodall’s talent at using fame to protect animals; fellow primatologist Mireya Mayer reflected on her legacy as a “gentle disruptor;” author Jill Filipovic reflected on how Goodall inspired generations of girls and women, and countless people posted photos and memories on social media. Here are just a few samples:
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Meanwhile there were the praise-filled obituaries — some of them obviously prepared in advance, but often written with heart and deep appreciation. And many news sites collected inspiring photos of Goodall through the years.
I took those in and returned to some of Goodall’s recent interviews, like this rare long-form discussion with musician Moby on his podcast:
…and this fun one with comedian Stephen Colbert:
I also turned to my bookshelves, which are filled with books by or about Goodall. Here are some of my favorites:
Through a Window: My Thirty Years With the Chimpanzees of Gombe by Jane Goodall
Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued From the Brink by Jane Goodall with Thane Maynard and Gail Hudson
In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants by Jane Goodall with Gail Hudson
Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
The Jane Effect: Celebrating Jane Goodall edited by Dale Peterson and Marc Bekoff
Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey by Jane Goodall with Phillip Berman
I Am Jane Goodall and I am Caring: A Little Book about Jane Goodall by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
#EATMEATLESS: Good for Animals, the Earth & All by the Jane Goodall Institute
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Maris Wicks
Pangolina by Jane Goodall, illustrated by Daishu Ma
Local Voices, Local Choices: The Tacare Approach to Community-Led Conservation by the Jane Goodall Institute, introduction by Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall: 50 Years at Gombe by Jane Goodall (out of print, but readily available)
These books, these interviews, the innumerable people she touched in her travels…these are the things that will keep Jane Goodall alive in a world that often feels bleak and hopeless. Her lessons and life remind us to keep striving, and that everyone can make a difference, every day.
So let’s skip the prepared remarks, the melancholy, and the solastalgia. Let’s keep doing things — small things, big things, and everything in between — to make this a better planet for humans and other animals alike.
That’s a legacy all of us can share.
