CWU faculty member discusses the late Jane Goodall in radio interview

The passing of Jane Goodall last week at the age of 91 marked the end of a storied life dedicated to fostering understanding between humans and chimpanzees.

Her impact on the field of primatology cannot be overstated, as CWU Senior Lecturer in Primate Behavior and Ecology Mary Lee Jensvold explored in a recent radio interview.

“Everyone knows that chimps use tools, and everyone knows they live these deep emotional lives,” Jensvold said in the interview with 99.3 County FM in Ontario, Canada. “All of these things which now seem like common knowledge were not so when Jane Goodall first went out into the forest.”

Goodall’s work was central to opening up a global conversation about the rich inner lives of chimpanzees, and with it, a renewed focus on conservation efforts and the humane treatment of these remarkably intelligent, sentient creatures.

“When she learned more about chimps, like many of us, she was moved to advocate for them,” Jensvold said. “She realized that in order to help wild chimps, she would have to help in terms of conservation, which led to her road show, which she was supposedly still on when she passed. She died with her boots on, so to speak, which is probably what she would have wanted.”

Jensvold’s spot on the program, as well as CBC’s weekly Daybreak show, came about as a result of her involvement with the Fauna Foundation, which provides a home for chimpanzees previously used in research. Residents of the Fauna Foundation — Canada’s only chimpanzee sanctuary — included Tatu and Loulis, who previously lived on the CWU campus with their world-famous adoptive mother, Washoe, who taught them sign language.

Jensvold met Goodall several times throughout her career, including a visit to the Fauna Foundation.

“Meeting Dr. Goodall was humbling to say the least,” Jensvold said. “I met her several other times in the over the years. She always listened intently and made me feel as if I was the only person in the room.  She also visited Tatu and Loulis twice at Fauna Foundation. We all know truly chimpanzees are the most interesting people to visit.”

Goodall herself noted the importance of Project Washoe in a quote engraved on Washoe’s statue in Friendship Park in downtown Ellensburg.

“Roger (Fouts), through his ongoing conversations with Washoe and her extended family, has opened a window into the cognitive workings of a chimpanzee’s mind that adds a new dimension to our understanding,” the plaque reads. “Clearly chimpanzees are capable of intellectual feats that once we thought unique to humans.”

Goodall’s contributions to the field of primatology directly led to the founding of CWU’s Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, which became the site of the world’s first instance of an animal both learning and teaching a human language. She lent her attendance to a fundraising gala for the project, and even advocated for it before the Washington State Legislature, as described in Roger Fouts’ book Next of Kin.

“And at a critical point, Jane Goodall traveled to Olympia, Washington, to address a joint session of the Washington state legislature,” Fouts wrote. “All other business came to a halt for twenty minutes while Jane made her emotional appeal on behalf of Washoe’s family. The legislature voted to pay more than 90 percent of the costs of Washoe’s home.”