Jane Goodall's Final, Urgent Call to Action

"Intelligent creatures don’t destroy their only home."

On October 2, 2025, the world lost one of its most beloved and influential environmental voices. Jane Goodall, who passed away at the age of 91.

The noted primatologist and anthropologist spent her final days as she had so many before: traveling, speaking, and urging humanity to reconsider its relationship with the natural world.

Her passing marks the end of an era, but her message is more urgent and universal than ever: if we are truly intelligent, we must act now to protect our only home.

A Life Devoted to Understanding and Protecting Nature

Jane Goodall’s journey began in the forests of Gombe, Tanzania, where her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees forever changed our understanding of animal intelligence and behavior.

She was the first to observe chimpanzees making and using tools, a discovery that blurred the line between humans and other animals and forced the scientific community to rethink what it means to be “human.”

But Goodall’s legacy extends far beyond her scientific achievements. She became a tireless advocate for conservation, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship, founding the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and the global youth program Roots & Shoots in 1991.

Through these initiatives, she empowered millions, especially young people, to take action for people, animals, and the environment.

Goodall’s Final Message: A Universal Call for Urgent Action

In her last public appearances, including interviews during New York City Climate Week and the Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit, Goodall’s message was clear, consistent, and deeply non-partisan.

She reminded us that, despite our technological advances.

“We’re not only part of the natural world, we’re an animal like all the others. But we depend on it for clean air, water, food, clothing—everything. And yet, we’re destroying the planet.”

Goodall warned against the dangerous idea that economic development should always come before environmental protection.

She issued an urgent warning for humanity during her final interview, conducted by the Wall Street Journal podcast, “The Journal.”

“We’re on a planet with finite resources, and if we exhaust them, it could spell our own end. Humans are not exempt from extinction.”

Perhaps her most powerful statement was this one:

“We’re the most intellectual animals to ever walk the planet, but we’re not intelligent. Because intelligent creatures don’t destroy their only home.”

This contradiction, between our capacity for reason and our destructive behavior, was at the heart of her urgent call to action.

Solutions and Hope: What We Can Do

Goodall was never one to dwell in despair. She believed that our intellect gives us the best shot at saving ourselves and the planet. She championed practical solutions such as renewable energy, plant-based diets, and ethical consumer choices.

Goodall urged everyone to

“Think about our ecological footprint... every day on this planet, you make a difference, and if you start thinking about the consequences of the small choices you make... then we start to get the kind of world that we cannot be too embarrassed to leave to our children.”

Her Roots & Shoots program, now active in over 140 countries, is a testament to her faith in the next generation. Goodall saw hope in young people, encouraging them to believe in themselves, work together, and take action, locally and globally.

Goodall offered the following advice during an October 1 interview.

“Every single day you live, you make some kind of impact. You get to choose what sort of impact you make, and that’s a message for all of us.”

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A Legacy That Transcends Politics

Jane Goodall’s message was never about left or right, but about right and wrong. She called on all of humanity to recognize our shared responsibility to the Earth and to each other.

Her philosophy was rooted in the interconnectedness of all living things and the belief that individual and collective action can lead to meaningful change .She often said that the greatest danger to our future is apathy.

In her final days, Goodall doubled down on her call for courage, persistence, and hope.

“Go to your community and what you care about. Get involved. If you want to make a difference, you can in your community. It’ll make you feel good. It’ll inspire other people.”

Honoring Goodall’s Life’s Work

Jane Goodall’s passing is a profound loss, but her legacy endures in the millions she inspired and the movements she helped ignite. Her life’s work is a rallying cry for all of us: to act intelligently, to care deeply, and to protect the only home we have.

As we reflect on her words, “Intelligent creatures don’t destroy their only home,” let us honor her memory not just with admiration, but with action.

The window for change is narrow, but, as Goodall showed us, hope is found in every choice we make and every life we touch.