Happy birthday Dr. Jane!
Through her groundbreaking work at Gombe, her empowerment of youth with Roots and Shoots, and her continued advocacy for the planet and all those who inhabit it, Dr. Jane has touched all of our lives in some way, whether we know it or not! Dr. Jane often speaks about her reasons for hope, which include the human intellect, the resilience of nature, the power of young people, and the indomitable human spirit. In honor of her recent publication, The Book of Hope, I am sharing 88 reasons for hope from members of my community for 88 years of Dr. Goodall. This illustrated video includes some of our reasons, and the full list is below!
“The current high school and current students who have grown up learning about the environment and caring about the environment, and they truly want to make a difference.” - Nehali Patel
“Something that gives me hope is watching the sunrise.” - Arya Patel
“My reason for hope is humans’ innate ability to do good.” - Hannah Kerlan
“Wildlife hospitals.” - Naisha Gaur
“The students whom I teach give me hope. They’re always pushing themselves and everyone else to be more aware, to evolve, to just be better.” - Julie Bielskis
“Sunrises over the Zambezi.” - Carolyn Bolton
“Friends and family give me hope.” - Leah
“I’ve been a competitive rock climber for many years now, and one thing I’ve noticed about my fellow climbers is that we all have a shared passion for the environment and nature.” - Virginia Johnson (RSNYLC member)
"Live theatre and dance"
“One of the ways that I stay hopeful is by spending time outdoors in mother nature every single day and this is because I understand that ocean health and human health are inextricably linked.” - Bodhi Patil
“Art gives me hope.” - Lucy Nassif
"Locally sourced produce and farmer's markets!"
“My community.” - Maya Iyengar
"That my family and friends are with me. That God is with me. And that everyone up there is with me.” - Atticus Shadoan
“A new start in college.” - Maggie Rosenblum
“The Memphis Grizzlies!” - Caroline West
"The kids in my life - at home and at work. They have hope so how dare I not." - Hope Martinez
“People who work to protect wild places.” - Beth Holloway
“My hope for the future is solar power.” - Michelle Jun
“Rain!” - Naisha Gaur
“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.” - Ayushi Gaur
“Animals.” - Rachel Larkins
“Youth climate action”
"Finding a great book at the library book sale"
"Singing! Singing brings me hope. Every time I feel down I sing.....it's better than hitting your head against a fence- that hurt....I tried it!" - Lincoln Shadoan
“Dance.” - Lauren Stafford
“Music.” - Ashwinaa Vaithianathan
“Spending time with this family.” - Hazel Herr
“Presents!” - Ruby Herr
“Soil carbon sequestration.”
“How people like to garden and how nature is very resilient and people like to plant trees.” - Miles
“Flowers.” - Rebecca Nassif
“Thai basil fried rice!”
“Cats.”
"Seeing my dog chase deer at the dog park" - Aditya Gaur
“Something that gives me hope is listening to music” - Rishi Patel
“It gives me hope that people still like doing things like going to museums and listening to live music.” - Shelley Shanaman
"Small acts of kindness in everyday life."
“My friends give me hope.” - Nora James Eikner
“Baby animals”
“Walking home from school!” - Leah Balkaran, Naisha Gaur, and Ayushi Gaur
“My reason for hope is that my dad is working in solar energy.” - Charlie LaMountain
“Something that brings me hope is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” - Margaret Nalen (RSNYLC member)
“Reusable bottles” - Beth Holloway
“We are hopeful about the future because of the next generation.” - Virginia, Brandon, Ellie, and Marty Ramey
“What gives me hope is knowing that my daughter Edie will make a positive impact on her world when she gets older.” - John Nichols
"Orchids that bloom after being dormant for a long time!"
“The power and tranquility of the ocean”
“It gives me hope, each act of kindness and generosity to those in need.” - Carina Rodriguez
"A proper English tea."
“What gives me hope is that everyday is new and entirely depends on you.” - Nicolas
“Hanging out with you.” - Virginia Herr
“Spring” - Naji Nassif
“Seeing so many people shift towards more plant based diets.”
“What makes me hopeful about the future is reading this book from Dr. Goodall (The Book of Hope) and also organizations like Roots and Shoots.” - Jamie Russell-Bell
“National Parks”
"Painting the mountains"
“Superpower Dogs” - Nehali Patel
"They joy of young children."
"The dawning of each new day."
Organizations that are making a positive impact on our world, like:
Climate Reality Project and former Vice President Al Gore
Fridays for Future and the young people involved in school strikes
BURN Manufacturing and moving towards cleaner cooking in Kenya
“My friends and the amazing work they are doing now and will continue to do as they begin their university experiences.” - Ayushi Gaur
"The US rejoining the Paris Agreement!"
"Gospel choirs!"
"Food pantries"
"Laughter"
"Enthusiasm for volunteer work and community service"
"Book clubs"
"Women in STEM"
“Spending time in the forest, with the trees, in the oceans, and of course in the sunshine– and rain, all types of forms of mother nature every single day. It keeps me stoked to do work for ocean health and human health as they are directly interconnected.” - Bodhi Patil
"Chemistry" - Naisha Gaur
"Practicing gratitude"
"The chaplains in our hospital"
"Therapy dogs"
"St. Jude Children's Research Hospital"
“Dr. Jane Goodall!” - Anika Bhatt
What keeps you hopeful?