Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ~ Jane Goodall

We join the world in mourning the loss of Dr. Jane Goodall, the visionary scientist, conservationist and humanitarian whose groundbreaking research forever changed the way we understand the natural world.

From her pioneering field studies of chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to her tireless advocacy for wildlife conservation and climate action, Dr. Goodall’s life’s work was defined by a profound respect for all living beings and an unshakable hope for the future.

For more than six decades, Dr. Goodall inspired global audiences, including countless PBS viewers, with her message that each of us has the power to make a difference. Through her research, writing and activism, she reminded us that protecting the natural world is inseparable from nurturing compassion and justice in our own communities.

There’s no doubt Dr. Goodall’s voice and vision will continue to resonate with generations for many years to come.  

Watch the programs below, some featuring Dr. Goodall and others discussing the primates she worked to protect, or stream online, on the PBS app or with Arizona PBS Passport.

Overheard with Evan Smith: Jane Goodall

On season 13 of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” the world-renowned conservationist and ethologist Jane Goodall discussed her legendary career with her groundbreaking studies into the lives of wild chimpanzees. Committed until the end, she recounts her work through the Jane Goodall Institute in one of her final interviews.

Nature: Animal Reunions

On season 34 of “Nature,” explore what happens when people are reunited with the wild animals with which they forged a deep bond years ago. Will these gorillas, elephants, cheetahs and chimpanzees still recognize their human caregivers, and how will they react? That is the premise of this program which also raises the question whether wild creatures can really experience emotions like joy, devotion and love.

From the Archives: A Conversation with Jane Goodall

Lee Cullum talked with Dr. Jane Goodall in 1990. Dr. Goodall discussed her legendary research on African chimpanzees in Western Tanzania’s Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve. She marveled at the similarities between chimpanzees and humans, how she was impressed by chimp mothers and yet witnessed a horrific act by one of the chimp mothers.

Extinction: The Facts

In “Extinction: The Facts,” Sir David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, threatening food and water security, undermining our ability to control our climate and even putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases.

Nature: Protecting Primates

On season 39 of “Nature,” as more than half of the world’s primates are under threat, meet the scientists making groundbreaking discoveries to safeguard their future.

Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers: Being with Jane Goodall

In this clip, Dr. Jane Goodall opens her heart to animals and tells us why we should too.

Life from Above: Changing Planet

On “Life from Above: Changing Planet,” cameras in space show just how fast our planet is changing. Cities are growing, forests are disappearing and glaciers melting, but in Tanzania, locals have regenerated the landscape, saving a family of chimpanzees.

Nature: Animals with Cameras

In this episode from season 36 of “Nature,” astonishing collar-camera footage reveals newborn Kalahari Meerkats below ground for the first time, unveils the hunting skills of Magellanic penguins in Argentina and follows the treetop progress of an orphaned chimpanzee in Cameroon.

Evolution Earth: Earth

In the first episode of the groundbreaking series “Evolution Earth,” animals are reacting in surprising ways to Earth’s extremes. Animal homes are changing around them at super speed. Follow remarkable stories of resilience and hope, from humpback whales to tiny butterflies to ingenious savanna chimpanzees.

Gabon: Expedition Jungle Paradise

On season 2 of “Expedition with Steve Backshall,” travel to the Moukalaba Doudou National Park with Steve, whose mission is to explore what animals are in the jungle beyond. Steve and his team hope to discover if this jungle could be home to an undiscovered population of chimpanzees.