Goodall Lecture Promotes Conservation and Peace - Georgetown College

When primatologist Jane Goodall, famous for her conservation work with chimpanzees, stood before a Georgetown audience on Sept. 9, she greeted the crowd with a call straight from the primates she works tirelessly to protect.

Low and deep, and then with a fast crescendo, Goodall puffed her chest and hooted, "Hoo-a, hoo-a, ooh, ooh, ooooh."

"That's especially for you people in the back because it's the (chimpanzee) distance call," Goodall told the rapt Gaston Hall audience. "For me, it's one of the most evocative sounds of the African forest."

Goodall came to Georgetown for a lecture and a book signing co-sponsored by 10 university and student groups, several of which have an environmental focus. Goodall's newest book is "Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species are Being Rescued from the Brink."

By evoking the voice of chimpanzees Goodall provided a glimpse into her work for those who have never traveled to the African woodlands or experienced the conservation crisis that is ravaging habitats. Through the Jane Goodall Institute, the scientist promotes conservation on all levels and helps increase awareness about impact humans have on the environment.

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