Weston resident Richard Wiese is a 2-time president of the International Explorers Club. He was host and executive producer of “Born to Explore,” the PBS and ABC-TV series, produced on Westport’s Main Street.
He also had the honor of knowing Jane Goodall — who had strong connections to this area.
Last night, he offered this remembrance of the revered conservationist. She died earlier in the day, at 91.
The world has lost one of its greatest champions for conservation. Dr. Jane Goodall was more than a pioneering primatologist — she was a voice for the planet.
Her research in Tanzania, beginning in the 1960s under the guidance of anthropologist Louis Leakey, forever changed our understanding of chimpanzees. She revealed that they use tools, display emotions, and possess unique personalities. Those discoveries shattered old notions and reminded us that humanity is deeply connected to the natural world.
As global as Jane’s influence was, she was no stranger to our corner of Connecticut. In the 1990s, the Jane Goodall Institute briefly headquartered in Ridgefield. She forged a lasting partnership with Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, which created the Jane Goodall Center for Environmental Excellence in 1995.
For nearly a decade she was a frequent presence on campus, meeting students, dedicating the Jane Goodall Permaculture Garden, and inspiring packed audiences with her message of hope.
Westporters who made the short trip to hear her speak remember the electricity in the room when she entered. She glowed.
Richard Wiese (left) and Dr. Jane Goodall.
In 1993 she was awarded The Explorers Medal by The Explorers Club in New York, one of the highest honors in exploration. She was only the second woman in history to receive it, after Mary Leakey. For many of us in the field, she embodied what it meant to lead with courage, compassion, and authenticity.
Anyone who says “never meet your heroes” never met Jane Goodall. She was warm, funny, and encouraging. I’ve known countless colleagues and students whose lives changed after a simple meeting or note from her.
When one of our members was imprisoned for his conservation work in Iran, Jane wrote him letters of encouragement, lifting his spirits. That was who she was—always giving, always believing in others.
Jane Goodall’s passing is a profound loss. But her legacy is written in the countless conservationists she inspired, the forests and animals she fought to protect, and the communities — right here in Connecticut and across the globe — that she touched with her message of hope.
The world, and Westport too, is better because Jane Goodall walked among us.