Jane Goodall is about to receive the Templeton Prize for her lifelong work on environmental and conservation efforts, reported The Guardian. Announced Thursday, the John Templeton Foundation recognizes individuals who embody a fusion of science and spirituality.
- Previous winners of the Templeton Prize include Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, reported The Associated Press.
- The Templeton Prize is one of the largest individual awards, with a value of $1.56 million dollars, said the AP.
About Jane Goodall and ‘virtual Jane’
Goodall built her reputation from her chimpanzee studies in Tanzania in the 1960s. Her work revolutionized the study of primates, including chimpanzees and gorillas, and pushed scientists to perceive the social and emotional complexities of animals, reported the AP and The Guardian.
In recent years, Goodall has used her foundation, The Jane Goodall Institute, and its educational branch, Roots and Shoots, to bring together young people to collaborate on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues, says USA Today.
- For decades, Goodall averaged more than 300 days of travel, speaking to audiences worldwide on these issues, according to the AP.
Since the pandemic, Goodall’s travels have halted. She has spent her time in her hometown and became “virtual Jane,” using a podcast and virtual events to continue her advocacy works, according to The Guardian.
- “It’s way more exhausting than traveling. But on the bright side I’ve reached millions more people in many more countries than I could in person,” she said via The Guardian.
At 87 years old, Goodall told The Guardian she does not plan on slowing down her advocacy efforts.
About the prestigious Templeton Prize
Founded in 1972 by philanthropist Sir John Templeton, the Templeton Prize is awarded to people who ”advance our understanding of, and appreciation for, the insights that science brings to the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s purpose and place within it,” says USA Today.
- When announcing the award, the John Templeton Foundation said Goodall’s “discoveries have profoundly altered the world’s view of animal intelligence and enriched our understanding of humanity in a way that is both humbling and exalting,” reported the AP.