An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall: Inspiring Hope Through Action

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Bill Wallauer

Jane Goodall in a shady spot.

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall, the Taylor Swift of ethologists, sold out in-person tickets for this free Distinguished Lecture Series event in an hour and a half. Goodall — the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees — wasn't originally trained as a scientist; she started as paleontologist Louis Leakey's secretary and he, perhaps sensing greatness, put her into the field. It's still possible to register for the livestream of the lecture at artsticketing.wisc.edu. Day-of, in-person ticket holders have until 6:45 p.m. to take their seats, after which remaining seats will be given to non-ticket-holders on a first come, first served basis. The wait might be worth it to see a legend.

media release: Esteemed ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, who was the first scientist to observe the human-like behaviors of chimpanzees, will share her story and hope for the environmental future at a free Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee-hosted talk on March 26 at 7 p.m. in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union.

The event, titled “An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall: Inspiring Hope Through Action,” will include a 90-minute speech and Q&A with Goodall. **In-person tickets for the Jane Goodall lecture are all claimed.**  Starting March 8 at 10 a.m., all are welcome to register for the virtual livestream here. 

Update: Tickets give priority seating access but do not guarantee a seat. Doors now open at **6:00pm** in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union on Sunday, March 26th to all ticketholders for general admission seating. All ticket holders need to be seated by 6:45 p.m. At that time any open seats will become available to non-ticket holders. 

Goodall was the first ethologist to see the animals fashioning tools and eating meat. Her findings challenged conventional notions about primates and provided evidence for the evolutionary relationship between humans and chimpanzees. 

An involved activist since 1986, Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a nonprofit organization that preserves wildlife by protecting chimpanzees and restoring damaged habitats, as well as Roots and Shoots, an organization giving young students in more than 60 countries resources to tackle environmental and social issues in their communities. 

Goodall is the author of “My Friends, the Wild Chimpanzees,” which describes her behavioral findings on chimpanzees. In 2021, Goodall released her latest book “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” which chronicles her life’s work and her optimism that humankind will come together to protect the environment. 

In addition to receiving many prestigious awards – including the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, the Kyoto Prize and the Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence – Goodall is a Dame of the British Empire and a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

“This planet – it doesn’t have infinite natural resources,” Goodall said in an interview with CBS News. “The key important thing is to give people hope that we can get through because if you don't have hope, why bother?"         

The WUD DLS Committee brings engaging and influential people to the UW–Madison campus to encourage thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 11 committees and six Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events each year.    

This event is made possible, in part, with support from the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, the UW–Madison College of Letters & Science, the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability, the UW–Madison Environmental Awareness Fund, UW–Madison Division of Facilities Planning & Management; Carleton Holstrom, Mary Beth Kineke and the Holstrom Kineke Environmental Studies Fund.

Patrons can learn more about the upcoming free talk featuring Goodall here.         

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series Committee contributes to the educational experience of University of Wisconsin–Madison students, Wisconsin Union members and community members by bringing engaging and influential people to campus. Founded in 1987, the series aims to expose the campus community to a diverse and vibrant array of people, backgrounds, and ideas. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/dls.