Environmental conservationists, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and representatives of Indigenous communities, gathered in the US capital Wednesday to pay a heartfelt tribute to the celebrated primatologist Jane Goodall.
Goodall, who died in October at age 91, transformed the study of chimpanzees and over her decades-long career became one of the world’s most revered wildlife advocates.
“May we all honor her by carrying forward that same fierce belief that we can do better, that we must do better and that we have a responsibility to protect this beautiful natural world we all share,” DiCaprio said in his remarks at the Washington National Cathedral service.
Goodall could be clear-eyed and blunt “about the greed and relentless consumption of our species,” the Hollywood star said of his late friend.
“But beneath that fierce honesty was an unwavering faith that every voice matters, that we are all connected to the living world, and that each of us can make a difference,” DiCaprio said.
Family members, loved ones and figures in her circle attended the ceremony in honor of the late British environmental activist, who died in Los Angeles while on a speaking tour.
Navajo Nation member DeWayne “Dee” Crank said Goodall’s “lifelong advocacy reflects a harmony with Navajo beliefs, and stands as “a reminder that humanity’s strength lies in its respect for all living things and in our responsibility to protect the Earth for future generations.”
Some people carried plush chimpanzees — a nod to Goodall’s groundbreaking research.
And therapy dogs greeted attendees at the cathedral’s steps.
In 1977 the luminary founded the Jane Goodall Institute — headquartered in Washington — to further research and conservation of chimpanzees. In 1991 she launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-led environmental program that today operates in more than 60 countries.
Goodall wrote dozens of books, appeared in documentaries, and earned numerous honors, among them being made a Dame Commander by Britain and receiving the US Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-president Joe Biden.
“She constantly reminded us that life was full of wonders, an interconnected tapestry of diverse creatures,” her grandson Merlin van Lawick said during his eulogy.
“We promise to carry forth your light.”
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