There are so many ways to describe Dr. Jane Goodall — ethologist, conservationist, advocate — but she’s also known as a celebrated storyteller! Since Jane’s wild chimpanzee research in what is now Gombe, Tanzania, storytellers of various media have followed in her footsteps, inspiring compassion and action for this planet we share. In an exciting partnership with Vital Impacts, a women-led nonprofit that uses powerful visual storytelling to support conservation, 90 such storytellers are celebrating Jane with a sale of their best fine-art photography prints to benefit Jane Goodall Institute’s global chapter.
As we celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Jane Goodall, we not only honor her groundbreaking work in ethology but also recognize her pivotal role in inspiring women around the world. Jane Goodall did more than just redefine our understanding of the relationship between humans and animals; she shattered barriers and opened doors for women everywhere.
Ami Vitale, National Geographic photographer and founder of Vital Impacts.
90 Prints for 90 Years of Impact
To celebrate Jane’s 90th birthday on April 3rd, 2024, Vital Impacts is hosting a 90-day fine-art photography sale. This collection, “The Nature of Hope: 90 Years of Jane Goodall’s Impact,” exclusively features the work of 90 female photographers from around the globe who are inspired by Jane. Much like Jane, they are breaking ground in their field, and much of the breathtaking artwork reimagines our relationships to the natural world.
Not only do these prints tell an important story — they actively contribute to Jane’s dream of a kinder planet. Proceeds for the sale will directly benefit the Jane Goodall Institute’s global chapter, which furthers Dr. Jane Goodall’s vision of science-based, community-led conservation and youth empowerment.
Photography can transport people into wild places and enable then to see animals and scenery that otherwise they would never know. Or evoke vivid memories of experiences once enjoyed. Such images are powerful tools for conservation, reminding us we must do everything we can to save the beauty and wonder of the natural world for future generations. Before it is too late.
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace
Meet the Photographers
This exclusive sale began on April 1st, and as a nod to Jane’s milestone 90th birthday, Vital Impacts is highlighting the work of one of the sales’ exceptional photographers on each day of the 90-day campaign. Read what some of these featured photographers have to say about their pieces:
“Did you know that panda moms are some of the most devoted creatures on Earth? They cradle their adorable bundles of fur 24/7 for the first few weeks of their lives—talk about non-stop cuddles! YeYe, shown here, a sixteen-year-old panda superstar, has been the ultimate teacher, showing her feisty two-year-old cub, Hua Jiao the ropes of life at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China, managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.” Follow Ami Vitale on Instagram @amivitale. 
“This work is a very personal reaction to the climate emergency, in particular to the Australian fires which almost destroyed my family home … This work uses my own archival images, and, through painting, scratching, and reworking, reimagines the landscapes of my childhood home, now with the threat of environmental devastation. The interference of my brushstrokes on the prints became a mirror of human intervention in nature, my own hand attempting to control the uncontrollable.” Follow Aletheia Casey on Instagram @aletheiacasey. 
“This is Rajan. A 66-year-old Asian elephant and he is the last of his kind. Brought to the Andaman Islands for logging in the 1950s, he and a small group of 10 elephants were brutally forced to learn how to swim in the ocean to bring the logged trees to nearby boats and then eventually swim on to the next island. When logging became banned in 2002, Rajan was out of a job. He lived out his days in harmony among the giant trees he used to haul in India’s Andaman Archipelago. Rajan was the last of this group to survive until his death in 2016.” Follow Jody MacDonald on Instagram @jodymacdonaldphoto. 
“‘Anaktuvuk’ means ‘the place of many caribou droppings’ … It is the home of the inland Inupiat people known as the Nunamiut, who have depended on caribou not only as their main staple food source, but also culturally and spiritually, for millennia. The community was only founded in 1957 when the Bureau of Indian Affairs forced the Nunamiut to settle into a single village site. Before that they were nomadic with their homes and way of life revolving around the caribou migration.” Follow Katie Orlinsky on Instagram @katieorlinsky. 
“Buoyed by a string of golden pearls, a young giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) grows up in the green mist of spring brine. Sunshine breaches the canopy of its towering elders above, bathing it in a soft glow as it dances in the surge. Eventually it’ll grow to join them on the sunlit surface, forging the next generation of kelp forests.” Follow Kate Vylet on Instagram @katevylet.
You can purchase these stunning prints on the 🔗 Vital Impacts website through July 2, 2024. To meet more of the incredible photographers participating in this celebratory campaign, keep an eye on 🔗 Vital Impacts’s Instagram @vital.impacts — more photos coming out soon!
Exclusive Signed “Selfies” from Jane
“I had to find a place where there was a tree that was just right for balancing the camera. I had to set up the tripod and fiddle about until I had the tripod and the imagined image of me framed just right. That was in the days before digital so I had to wait a long time before I got the results back from National Geographic. I was pretty proud of myself. I love that picture.”
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace
In addition to prints from these 90 groundbreaking photographers, Jane will be offering exclusive, signed prints from her early work in what is now Gombe Stream National Park. These include hand-signed photographs of her beloved F-family of chimpanzees, and a signed “selfie” that she created at what is now known as Jane’s Peak — Jane’s ideal spot for observing chimpanzee behavior through her binoculars, especially when they did not yet trust her enough to get close.
Jane shared, “I’m so delighted that our friends at Vital Impacts have launched their latest photo print sales. I was really excited to see that that photo of me looking out at the valley at Gombe with my trusty lightweight telescope was chosen. It was taken in, I think, 1962. I was on my own, very high up in the hills, and I thought what a great photo this would make.
I had to find a place where there was a tree that was just right for balancing the camera. I had to set up the tripod and fiddle about until I had the tripod and the imagined image of me framed just right. That was in the days before digital so I had to wait a long time before I got the results back from National Geographic. I was pretty proud of myself. I love that picture.”
Above: photos by Nora Lorek, NASA and ESA Telescope, Suzi Eszterhas, Tiina Itkonen, Sisse Brimberg, Evgenia Arbugaeva, and Karine Aigner.
Take Home a Piece of History
The breadth and talent of the photographers featured in this collaboration is a testament to the vast impact Jane has made in the field of conservation.
“Through her pursuit of knowledge and her unwavering dedication to understanding the natural world, Dr. Jane Goodall’s dedication to unraveling the mysteries of the natural world not only challenged the prevailing norms but shattered the confines of what society believed women could accomplish,” states Vital Impacts founder Amy Vitale. “Her pioneering spirit not only opened doors for us to delve into the wonders of nature but also inspired advocacy for its preservation.”
The sale ends July 2, so don’t miss your chance to take home a piece of history! Each purchase directly funds our work at the Jane Goodall Institute’s global chapter as well as supporting these visionary artists. The greatest gift you can give Jane to celebrate her 90 years of impact is to support her vision for a world where people and wildlife live in harmony on this shared planet.
