This week Evie got to chat to a giant amongst us. Dr Jane Goodall, DBE answers kids questions on chimpanzees, nature loss and all that young people can do.
As well as her Roots & Shoots programme. It’s a big episode. You can see the whole interview on RTÉ Kids YouTube too.
Ecolution is a programme that keeps children's hopes, worries and concerns over nature and the Climate Crisis at the centre of all we do.
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Last year we were lucky enough to have Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson on the show to answer young people's questions on Climate Justice. And during the interview she spoke about the importance of intergenerational conversations around the issues affecting us. She quoted Kofi Annan who said "you are never too young to lead, and you are never too old to learn."
Well, one person who has dedicated their entire life to learning all they can about the natural world and enacting positive change, is our very special guest today, Dr Jane Goodall, DBE.
Press play below to watch the full interview...
Dr Jane Goodall is the Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace. She is a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world. And today on Ecolution she agreed to answer questions from children around the country.
We gathered questions from environmentally conscious young people who had burning questions to ask one of the most famous people on the planet. From Clonburris National School in Clondalkin, Kids from Wicklow and Dublin’s inner City. Taney Parish Primary School in Dundrum and Clerihan’s NS in Tipperary. And they asked some interesting things!
Dr Goodall is known for her ground-breaking studies of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, which forever changed our understanding of our relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom. And many of the children’s questions focused on this work. Her transformative research, begun in 1960, continues today as the longest running wild chimpanzee study in the world.
Dr Goodall’s work builds on scientific innovations, including trailblazing efforts through the Jane Goodall Institute which has Institutes in 25 countries advancing community-led conservation, animal welfare, conservation science, and youth empowerment.
And it’s this which really offered the opportunity for this episode.
Dr Jane Goodall is growing the next generation of compassionate changemakers through her 'Roots & Shoots’ environmental and humanitarian youth programme, now active in over 60 countries. And she spoke about Roots & Shoots in the interview
"I started it in Tanzania in 1991 when I found that young people, your age, were losing hope. And they were either angry or they were just really depressed. Mostly they just didn’t seem to care, and when I asked them why they felt like that, they all said more or less the same thing. 'Well, you’ve compromised our future, you’ve harmed it. There’s nothing we can do about it.' So, if you believe your future has been harmed, you’re right! It has. But it’s not too late to do something about it. We decided that the most important message would be that every single person has an impact on the planet every single day and you can choose what sort of impact you make."
Photo: The Jane Goodall Institute/ Shawn Sweeney
Today, Dr Goodall continues to connect with worldwide audiences, through in person/remote lectures, recordings and her podcast, the "Jane Goodall Hopecast." In 2021, Dr Goodall was the recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize and her newest book, "The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times," was published in numerous countries and multiple languages.
Dr Goodall is a global icon, helping to create a better world for people, other animals, and the planet we share.
And we were incredibly lucky to have her on Ecolution to talk to Evie about cChimpanzees, our impact on the natural world and why we can all set down roots (and shoots) for nature and positive change in all that we do.
The episode is available wherever you get your podcasts along with all our previous shows.
If you would like to find out more about Roots & Shoots, please visit www.rootsnshoots.org.uk.
You could ask your local school or university if they run Roots & Shoots - you or a young person you know could enrol in an existing group or help to set up a new one - it's free to take part!
If you or your class would like to be part of Ecolution, we'd love to hear from you.
Email junior@rte.ie
Ecolution drops every TWO WEEKS on Wednesday at 7pm on RTÉjr Radio or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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