Jane Goodall Institute

Jane Goodall, institute's namesake in October 2010

The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is an international wildlife and environment conservation organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with branches in many countries. It was founded in 1977 by English primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE and Genevieve di San Faustino.

Its mission is to advance the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment of all living things through the following objectives:

• Improve global understanding and treatment of great apes through research, public education and advocacy
• Contribute to the preservation of great apes and their habitats by combining conservation with education and promotion of sustainable livelihoods in local communities
• Create a worldwide network of young people who have learned to care deeply for their human community, for all animals and for the environment, and who will take responsible action to care for them.

JGI's main offices are in the United States, but it has sister offices around the world, in countries including Australia, Italy, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, while its Gombe Stream Research Center is located in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

After a visit to Gombe Stream National Park in the 1990's, Goodall noticed that the people living just outside the park were cutting down the last trees in order to grow crops and sustain themselves. This lead to the Institute's TACARE (Take Care) program, which is a holistic effort to help people improve their lives with new farming methods, protecting the watershed, scholarships to keep girls in school, and better healthcare. After about seven years of this program, the villagers set aside land for conservation as a buffer all around Gombe National Park. It has been so successful that the project has been replicated in other parts of Africa.

Branches

Hong Kong

The Jane Goodall Institute (Hong Kong) is one of the Asian branches dedicated to wildlife research, education and conservation. In 2002, the Jane Goodall Institute Hong Kong was established as one of the local charities with the intention to motivate the Hong Kong public to show compassion and care for the community, animals and environment.

Shanghai

The Jane Goodall Institute Shanghai was founded as a volunteer organization in November 1999. Five years later, in November 2004, Roots & Shoots was granted Non-Profit Organization status by the Shanghai City Government and is currently the only legally registered, foreign-affiliated, environmental non-profit organization operating in China. The Jane Goodall Institute Shanghai believes that the future is in the hands of the world’s young people. The program is committed to the understanding and preservation of wildlife and our living world through the education and empowerment of our youth.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom it operates as a registered charity, The Jane Goodall Institute (UK), based in Southampton.

France

The Jane Goodall Institute France was founded in 2004.

Italy

The Jane Goodall Institute of Italy (ITA) was set up in December 1998 as the Italian branch of the Jane Goodall Institute International (JGI) on the initiative of the President the biologist Daniela De Donno. JGI Italy is a socially useful non profit making organisation, its philosophy and aims are based on those of the JGI International: acting to build a better future for people, animals and the environment.

See also

• Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies
• Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School

External links

• Jane Goodall Institute
• Jane Goodall Institute Shanghai
• The Jane Goodall Institute (UK)
• The Jane Goodall Institute of Italy (ITA)