WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and U.S. Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) today introduced joint resolutions in the Senate and House honoring the achievements of world-renowned conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall, who 50 years ago today stepped into what is now Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park to begin her landmark research on chimpanzees.
The resolutions honor the "Educational and Scientific Significance of Dr. Jane Goodall on the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of her work in Tanzania," and were presented in the Senate by Udall and the House by Polis.
While Goodall rose to international prominence for her unprecedented work with chimpanzees, she is now equally well-known and admired for her dedication to helping others - in particular, young people - understand the impact of their lives on the natural world, and for inspiring them to be forces of positive change. In 1991, Goodall founded the non-profit Roots and Shoots, which helps young people organize to address issues impacting their homes and communities. Today, Goodall's Roots and Shoots program is operating in 120 countries around the world.
"Dr. Goodall has been a leader in mobilizing community involvement in conservation, and continues to practice and promote conservation efforts based on the important link between poverty elevation and environmental stewardship," according to the resolution.
Udall, a longtime admirer of Goodall, applauded his friend's dedication to helping young people become active participants in the betterment of their own communities.
"For 50 years, Dr. Goodall has worked to expand and improve our world. Now that work has spread so widely that Jane Goodall is a household name. And with that name, young people from America to Africa and all around the globe learn the wonders of the natural world and our link to the creatures around us, including Dr. Goodall's beloved chimpanzees," Udall said in a speech in Goodall's honor today on the Senate floor.
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Goodall for many years and I truly admire the work she has done to educate children and adults alike about the importance of protecting the environment," said Polis. "In the fifty years since she stepped foot in Gombe National Park, her groundbreaking scientific research has changed for the better the way we think about our world and the beings with which we share it. Jane's revolutionary education program, Roots and Shoots, has reached hundreds of thousands of kids across the globe and fosters environmental stewardship and awareness for the future of the planet."
