Photo by HUGO VAN LAWICK, courtesy of the JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE
From plant-based living to primate research, Dr. Jane Goodall continues to inspire in unexpected ways.
Dr. Jane Goodall is best known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and tireless advocacy for the environment, but there’s more to the ethologist and conservationist than meets the eye. A lifelong advocate for the planet, she’s a woman of substance with a few surprising habits. From her evening whisky ritual to her namesake orchid, here are five things you might not know about Dr. Goodall.
Jane hasn’t eaten meat in over 50 years.
Dr. Goodall stopped eating meat over 50 years ago when she first learned about factory farming from Peter Singer’s book, Animal Liberation. In 2021, the Jane Goodall Institute published #EATMEATLESS, a plant-based cookbook that promotes sustainable choices, one bite at a time.
“It is the choice to change our individual lives, which will in turn have enormous benefits for all of humanity and all of the other living creatures we share our home with,” she wrote on her website.
There is a species of orchid named after her.
Discovered by Ed de Vogel and Art de Vogel, Dendrobium goodallianum is named after Jane Goodall for her many years of work in nature conservation. The flower is distinctive: it only flowers for one day and has a unique coconut-like fragrance.
Jane has a line of essential oils and is a skincare ambassador.
She has partnered with Forest Remedies on a line of essential oils and is an ambassador for Stella McCartney’s cruelty-free skincare line, Stella.
She has a Barbie doll made in her honor.
Dr. Goodall has been recognized with several tributes and awards throughout her career, and this one was made to introduce her to the next generation of girls. Part of the “Barbie Inspiring Women” series, the doll wears field attire and comes with a pair of binoculars and a notebook.
She takes whisky every night.
It was a ritual that began with her mother, with whom she had a small glass of whisky together at home. “As I travelled more, we’d each raise a glass at our respective 7P.Ms. It was a way to feel connected. Now I toast her up in the clouds every evening,” she told The Guardian in 2023.
