Dr Jane Goodall DBE is an ethologist and environmentalist, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In July 1960, at the age of 26, she travelled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of the wild chimpanzees living in Gombe.

Equipped with a notebook, binoculars and a fascination with wildlife, Dr Goodall braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives. Through more than 60 years of ground-breaking work, she has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment. 

Today there are 24 Jane Goodall Institutes working to support JGI’s core programmes including TACARE, a community conservation programme, two sanctuaries for orphan chimpanzees, and Roots & Shoots, JGI’s environmental and humanitarian programme empowering young people of all ages to become involved in hands-on projects for their community, animals and the environment in more than 60 countries.

Dr Goodall has received many awards and honorary degrees, authored books for adults and children and featured in numerous documentaries and films. She is currently working virtually from her family home in Bournemouth, UK during the pandemic.

For more information, please visit the following websites: 
www.janegoodall.global
www.rootsandshoots.global

Image credit: Stuart Clarke

Audrey Tan is an assistant news editor at The Straits Times, a news outlet based in Singapore. She has been reporting on the environment for about a decade, covering issues related to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and international climate negotiations. She has a special interest in how Southeast Asia is affected by the planetary crises of climate change and nature loss, and how the region is responding to the planetary emergencies. In 2022, she was part of a team that received a grant from the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund Southeast Asia to pursue an investigative piece on the region’s post-pandemic bushmeat trade, and its implications for forest and human health.

Raha Islam is part of the International Programme for Sustainable Development (IPSD) offered by Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU) where she is also involved in the Roots & Shoots (R&S) outreach programme by the Jane Goodall Institute. The R&S outreach programme seeks to empower young people to do their part in solving human, animal welfare, and environmental problems in their communities.

Raha’s journey with R&S began in 2014 with a handmade recycled jute bag that she presented to Dr Jane Goodall during a Roots & Shoots Award Ceremony in UAE. Today, she is a Roots & Shoots Club Leader sharing ideas, inspiring other youths and implementing successful community service projects to make a positive difference to people, animals, the environment and, ultimately, the planet. She hopes to share her passion as an environmental activist with others and to be an environmentalist in future.

Raha is a third culture kid, Bangladeshi by birth and raised in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ernst is an aspiring ESG professional developing impact reporting and placemaking initiatives while conserving heritage shophouses with Figment, a Singapore-based boutique co-living home operator. Falling into the camp of multi-hyphenates, he does not hail from a typical science academia befitting of a conservationist. Ernst holds a Diploma in Law and is pursuing his Bachelor’s in Building & Project Management and plans to further his studies in Property Law, Impact Investing & Green Finance.

Apart from his career and academic interests, Ernst volunteers with the Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore, Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity and multiple grassroots organisations to uplift the socio-economically disadvantaged.

He also reviews and writes recommendations for upcoming developments’ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans (EMMPs), or appeals for aid on behalf of residents as a volunteer case officer. His dedication after-hours is driven by his dreams for a better world in the environmental, biodiversity and social fields.

Shi Zhou is an undergraduate reading Materials Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). With a strong passion for sustainable technology and development, he is actively involved in sustainability-based projects since 2016. The former President of Temasek Polytechnic Green Interest Group currently holds appointments in various local, regional, and global youth-led environmental NGOs such as JGIS, AEYN and YOUNGO. Beyond his involvement in the various NGOs, Shi Zhou has also partaken in academic research, entrepreneurship projects, and corporate development as well.

Shi Zhou is also currently President of Earthlink NTU, the largest student-led environmental group in NTU, where he oversaw projects on biodiversity conservation, nature appreciation and habitat restoration. He also sits on the Long-Tailed Macaque Committee as a student representative to assist in the recent human-macaque incidents on campus. Shi Zhou aspires to be a researcher on environmental technologies, with the goal of contributing to the fields of clean energy and green materials in the future.