Full Transcript:
Speaker 1 (00:04):
We are all connected, all our voices matter, and it’ll take all of our bold talents and strengths to create a healthier planet.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Our mother, our one and only home.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
I aspire to change the world too because of the hope she gave me.
Speaker 4 (00:16):
The [inaudible 00:00:17]
Speaker 5 (00:18):
She devoted her life to this.
Speaker 6 (00:19):
Together we can save our world.
Speaker 7 (00:26):
Together can, together we will.
Jane Goodall (00:27):
What is your greatest reason for hope? I’m Jane Goodall, and this is the Hopecast. Hello. This is Jane Goodall, and I want to welcome everybody to this Mailbag episode. I am really, really happy to introduce Ashley Sullivan to be the host. So welcome Ashley.
Ashley Sullivan (00:53):
Thank you, Jane. I am so truly happy to be here. I feel like I’m always behind the scenes. Actually an honor of the fact that this is a Mailbag with fan submissions. I wanted to show you the fan mail you gave me from a while back. I had given you a scar for your birthday with butterflies on it. We know butterflies are a proper symbol for the Hopecast and as the very busy, very important Jane Goodall took the time to me a little note complete with coffee stain because we know you never stop working and need to stay caffeinated. So I just wanted to say thank you for being the kind of person that not only listens to people’s fan mail, but sends back fan mail to people who work for you and try to get your message out there. So thank you.
Jane Goodall (01:43):
Oh, thank you, Ashley. It’s nice to get thanked for what I take for granted. If people do wonderful things, I want to thank them and acknowledge them.
Ashley Sullivan (01:54):
You do it wonderfully. And I’ve been there when you’ve stayed to the very last person to sign books and that really is you. So thank you for are taking the time for all these people who want to connect to you and continue to make a difference in your example. Speaking of which our first submission is from Georgia Small. So let’s hear from Georgia.
Geargia Small (02:20):
I believe that every person is capable of making a different. Every day I am inspired by people of all ages from all over the world who are working hard to make changes to preserve our planet. It is my hope that we can harness this energy and passion to push for a better future. One where leaders will listen to science and where we take a united standard climate change for it affects each and every one of us. Our planet is vulnerable and it is suffering for the way we as humans are choosing to live. Any action however big or small is in action, whether it be a beach clean or changing your diet, we all have the power to make a difference. Jane Goodall inspires me to believe in myself and use my voice to make a difference,
Jane Goodall (03:05):
Georgia, thank you for that message. Thank you for understanding that each and every one of us is important and that each and every one of us can make a difference every day. Only when people realize that what they do does make a difference. That they stop thinking nothing I can do will matter. We need to know that what we do each day, whether it’s something big or small is going to make a difference. And when cumulatively you look at all these little changes, it shows that we are moving towards a better world. It gives me hope. I know that there are hundreds and thousands of young people doing everything that they can do each day to make this a better world. So we will win through these dark times by working together. Thank you.
Ashley Sullivan (04:01):
Georgia Small, small changes make a difference. So thank you for that submission. Next up, we have Anita Tiwari who is going to tell us a little bit more about the way she feels about the natural world.
Anita Tiwari (04:18):
Nature is giving us constantly and it’s our purpose to give it back by serving the planet. Every society needs Jane to spread collective consciousness. Lack of communication with nature, animals, and with each other has given this harmony. Through communion and working together we can dream more one world, one family intermingling with each though in love, peace, and harmony.
Jane Goodall (04:48):
Thank you very much Anita for that very beautiful statement. And everything you say is so very true. And every major religion has the same golden rule, do to others as you would have them do to you. And I want to include in that others means also other species, other animals, other parts of the natural environment like trees, and flowers, and also nations. If we all followed the golden role, what a wonderful world it would be. So let’s work together to make that happen. Thank you.
Ashley Sullivan (05:31):
Thank you, Jane. And I think that the pandemic has definitely made us recognize our interconnectedness with the natural world and our reliance upon one another to be responsible and compassionate. And I think that it’s so powerful to see all these messages together, reflecting back your message of unity and respect. And another message in that vein is from Nina Love from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in USA.
Nina Love (06:06):
Hi, good afternoon. My name is Nina, and I’m an animal advocate rescuing stray animals in Philadelphia. It’s not a question, but I just want to say thank you from the bottom my heart. You’ve inspired me to do so much in my community and being able to travel around the world, seeing animals close up, getting to understand the importance of animal conservation. And I try to get my community to be involved as much as possible. So it’s not a question, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for inspiring people like me, and I hope that I’m able to change the world in just as much as you do.
Jane Goodall (06:44):
You know something, what you’ve just said and the way that you said it is the kind of message that keeps me going. And yes, I work really hard and I work to address some of the world’s problems. And just sometimes, I get a message like yours, which makes me realize how important all this hard work I’m doing actually is. And I would love for you to be introduced by email, of course, to my granddaughter Angel, her father is my son, her mother is Tanzanian. And she is now going to go around Tanzania and help the young people in roots and shoots understand that animals matter. She’s going to help them find projects to help animals. And of course in Africa, animals need a great deal of help. And so I’d love you to meet her, and you can talk together about what you feel about what can be done to help animals. And it’s by linking people around the world who share the same passion that we can truly inspire others to join in. So thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Ashley Sullivan (08:18):
So well said, Jane. And I will say, I hope that you get even more chances to listen to messages like this. I will say, as someone who works on social media for JGI and has been at events, I have been often the receiver of messages like this on your behalf because you are doing so many things. So we really hope that we can get more of to you because Nina is not alone and she definitely represents so many of the people around the world that you have inspired to protect animals, to go into conservation, to study animals, and many more to come. So speaking of which, we have our next message from Jayden Andrew Fleming, from Massachusetts, USA.
Jayden Fleming (09:08):
Dr. Goodall, my name is Jayden Fleming. I’m from Salem, Massachusetts in the US. I’ve been watching you and the Gumby, Yale films since I was about eight years old. And I thought it was the coolest thing ever to live with chimpanzees cause that’s what I thought and I was like, [inaudible 00:09:25]I have flipped the telescope around the other end. I’ve been concentrating on urban feral cats, big problem in the US. I have adopted multiple your personalities from that venue, and I’ve been very happy and very, very much taught by them. I just wanted to say, sometimes for anyone just look telescope around and do what you can local. Yeah, do whatever you can.
Jane Goodall (09:57):
Jayden, thank you so much for this statement that you made. It is so true. We don’t need to travel around the world to make a difference. And it’s so true that if people follow their passion, whether it be to save for us, whether it be to work with animals, whether it be to help the homeless or the migrants, it is making a difference. Everywhere around the planet there are people who are passionate about helping different species. So in this way, with every individual following their passion, we’re helping all the different animals who so desperately need our help. And good luck to you and stay in touch with us about your cats.
Ashley Sullivan (10:48):
That was a perfect answer, Jane. Apologies for the panic and I couldn’t resist, but speaking of people who are inspired to help animals and maybe want to take it to the next level, I know that you are someone who very much believes that whatever your passion or your expertise, you can make a difference. So our next submission is someone who wants to know more about what they can do to take things to the next level. We have Nevin Burns from Florida USA, and it is a text only. So I will read it out to you.
Ashley Sullivan (11:24):
Hello, Dr. Goodall. My name is Nevin and I am a student studying animal nutrition and wildlife conservation. Firstly, I must emphasize the immense joy I have to be able to hear your voice whenever I like through the Hopecast. Your spirit flows effortlessly from my headphones to inspire the constant hope needed to stay focused on our united goal of sustainability. You’re the leader I strive to be.
Ashley Sullivan (11:47):
My question for you is one of how can I or should I take the initial steps toward organizing a conservation foundation with many phosphate fertilizers mined and polluted into Florida waterways. It has impacted local wildlife by surpassing the highest recorded number of Florida manatee deaths this year over 900. I feel compelled to develop a coalition towards reducing the potentially damaging impacts that are affecting the wildlife that I have grown up around, primarily promoting the education and effectiveness of alternative methods of fertilizer, herbicide, et cetera, and providing the tools necessary to meet this vision. My total being aims to protect and preserve species and the environment, but I feel clueless on how to gather functioning parts, to develop such an organization with ambitious goals. Your advice would mean the world to an aspiring activist.
Jane Goodall (12:42):
Well, dear Nevin, I get so many questions from people who are concerned about different problems. Problems that we are inflicting on mother earth. I happen to be passionate about the need to abolish industrial farming. Industrial farming with its herbicides, pesticides, and artificial fertilizers is destroying the land. You are absolutely right. I would advise you perhaps to get in touch with the Jane Goodall Institute and there may be other organizations already out there into working to solve the problems that you care so passionately about as do I. And so it’s working together with different organizations that’s going to help us get out of the horrible mess that we’ve made for ourselves. So let’s be in touch and let’s see what other organizations that are, that you might contribute to or that might help you to develop your own organization. Thank you for bringing this up.
Ashley Sullivan (14:03):
That was wonderful, Jane. And now to bring it back to the young people that I know are some of your greatest reasons for hope, we have a lovely Roots and Shoots member. All of the names in this Mailbag episode have been very appropriate animal themed or otherwise. We have Alicia Hellen from New Zealand. This is text only. So I’m going to read it out to you here.
Ashley Sullivan (14:29):
Hello, Jane Goodall. Is absolute pleasure to have this opportunity to spread hope with you. My name is Alicia Hellen and I am a 16 year old girl from New Zealand. I’m a member of your Roots and Shoots program, and currently trying to do as much as possible to help our environment. My greatest reason for hope is animals. Animals are so intelligent and have been able to adapt to different conditions throughout their lives. I believe that animals are what will get us through climate change and the many other issues the world is facing today.
Ashley Sullivan (14:58):
Animals have a special talent of bringing people together, whether they’re from the same religion or country or speak different languages and live miles apart. Animals are what brings smiles to people’s faces and start conversations between strangers. I have always had a strong passion for helping animals, and I plan on going to university to study veterinary science and specialize in primates. You have been my role model since I was a tiny little girl. And if I ever get the chance to meet you, it would truly mean the world to me. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, we may never have the chance. I am currently collecting your books and if I was ever to meet you, my dream is to have a signed copy of one of your books. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing more of your HopeCast and reading the rest of your books. Thank you Dr. Jane Goodall.
Jane Goodall (15:49):
Well, Alicia, thank you for this message. And I’m so glad that you care about animals and that you are hoping to become a veterinarian. And of course, as you rightly point out, we need animals too. And during this pandemic, there’s so many people who say their pet dog or cat has actually held them to get through very difficult times. And dogs in particular really have helped many, many people, whether they’re grieving or the loss of loved ones, whether they’ve endured an earthquake, but now they’ve been reunited with their pet dog. It really does help people. You have to remember though, Alicia, that some animals cannot adapt to climate change. I’m including in animals, of course, insects, and birds, and not just the four footed furry ones. If an animal cannot adapt or move away from climate change, it will become extinct. That’s why we need to work together to start slowing down climate change in any way that we can. Slowing down the loss of biodiversity is what’s going to get us together towards a better future.
Ashley Sullivan (17:10):
Thank you, Jane. And I think it’s interesting that we on the note of animals because your stories about chimpanzees made people recognize our relationship to the natural world was much closer than people really understood or would believe. And it is those stories that you tell here on the Hopecast that help people better understand that, the next generation understand that and to take action before it’s too late. So thank you for sharing your stories and your message with the world and thank you for taking the time for this Mailbag episode of the Hopecast.
Ashley Sullivan (17:46):
Thank you so much, Ashley, for taking part in Mailbag. You make a fantastic moderator. And thank you for all the work that you do for the Jane Goodall Institute.
Ashley Sullivan (18:01):
Feel hopeful and inspired to act with the Jane Goodall Hopecast by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere podcasts are found. I’m your host Jane Goodall. The Jane Goodall Hopecast is produced by the Jane Goodall Institute. Our production partner is FRQNCY Media. Michelle Khouri is our executive producer, Enna Garkusha is our producer, and Matthew Earnest Filler is our editor and sound designer. Our music is composed and performed by Ruth Mendelson with additional violin tracks from Angie Shyr. Sound design and music composition for the conservation chorus is by Matthew Earnest Filler.
