Vale Jane Goodall

‘Rangers are the missing link in conservation’ – Dr Jane Goodall, DBE.

Jane Goodall clearly understood Thin Green Line’s mission and purpose. She knew how important it is for rangers to have the fundamental equipment and training they need to protect wildlife and wild places. Jane also understood the danger rangers face every day they work on the frontlines of conservation.

Jane Goodall, highly motivated, determined, and remarkably articulate, possessed a wisdom that reached beyond humanity to illuminate the intricate workings of the natural world.

Having met Thin Green Line’s founder, Sean Willmore, she readily agreed to be an ambassador for the Foundation – a powerful and highly respected voice for rangers across the world.

Jane Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the US. She was 91. Her wisdom lives on in the millions of lives she has touched and in the published works she leaves behind.

As much as she inspired others, Jane found her own inspiration in the passion for the natural world shared by the countless young people she met year after year.

Just over five years ago, Jane Goodall spoke to some of Thin Green Line’s supporters at a fund-raising dinner. Her message focused on not losing hope despite the bleak outlook for conservation and biodiversity.

“It’s true to say, we haven’t borrowed the future from our children – we’ve stolen it – and we’re still stealing it,” Jane said. “But it’s not too late to tackle the threats to biodiversity.”

“We must work to reduce poverty to reduce pressure on ecosystems. We must tackle the problem of human overpopulation and the astounding proliferation of farmed animals and industrial agriculture. And we must balance our need for economic development with the realisation that our planet has finite resources.”

“Fortunately, nature is amazingly resilient: places we have destroyed, given time and help, can once again support life, and endangered species can be given a second chance,” said Jane.

Sean Willmore recognised Jane Goodall’s inspiring global leadership as an activist in conservation.

“Jane Goodall was the most wonderful advocate for the vital work of rangers and for Thin Green Line,” Sean said. “The Foundation, rangers around the world, and I, were greatly honoured to have her as a friend.”

“As a cherished ambassador for the Foundation and for conservation, I am forever thankful for Jane’s support,” said Sean.

The Jane Goodall Institute, founded in 1977, works to protect chimpanzees and supports projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.

A statement from the Jane Goodall Institute said her discoveries “revolutionised science” and that she was “a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world”.

The United Nations said it mourned the loss of Dr Goodall, saying that she “worked tirelessly for our planet and all its inhabitants, leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature”. Jane Goodall was a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Dr Goodall was appointed a Dame in 2003 and received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025. She was known for travelling constantly for her work, saying in 2022 that she had not slept in the same bed for more than three weeks since 1986.