It’s not often a childhood dream is fulfilled. But that’s just what happened one evening this September when I heard the late Jane Goodall speak in Austin just weeks before her death. I had been waiting to hear Goodall for 35 years — since I was a fourth-grader at Cedar Creek Elementary where we read “My Life with the Chimpanzees” in Mrs. Szilagyi’s English class.

I was hooked. Goodall visited soon after, but for one reason or another, I was unable to attend. So that longing was filed away, tucked into the past. The love of science, however, stuck and I eventually went to the University of Texas became a biologist, studying fire ants and butterflies, until life took me in another direction.

However, on that September night, in the nosebleed section of the sold-out Long Center sitting in the cheapest seats, it all came back — the awe, the adventure, the love of nature, the African jungle. The dream of my 9-year-old self was being fulfilled — hearing her speak, seeing her in person.
In those 90 minutes, she shared her amazing life story. It was a life driven by purpose, a life full of courage and determination. It was a life full of hope for our world.

The millions Dr. Goodall has touched through her books, outreach and inspiring accomplishments was profound. She broke barriers everywhere.
She upended accepted scientific thought. By discovering that chimpanzees made and used tools, she single handedly changed the definitions of what it meant to be a human and what it meant to be an animal.

Beyond her discoveries in primatology were the conservation efforts to which she dedicated her life — promoting awareness, mindfulness and respect for our planet and all its creatures.

We will reap what we sow. As such, we must protect our Earth, be mindful of our wastefulness and abuse of this planet. Each one of us can take constructive action. Our individual actions are important. Everyone is part of a greater whole.

Respect and dignity are due not only to the human species, but also the animal species and to this beautiful planet on which we reside.

Goodall preached this holy message in the language of science. It was a message that we are all responsible. We are not only our brother’s keeper, but also our Earth’s keeper. We must respect and protect nature not only for ourselves, but for our future generations.

It starts with each of us. With one small change, one choice here and one choice there, we can have a meaningful impact. When millions participate, mountains can be moved.

Goodall, with her delicate frame and gentle manner, moved mountains. She was a beautiful, profound inspiration to each and every one of us.
Her life demonstrated that one single person can change the course of humanity. The millions of seeds she sowed through her efforts have sprouted scientists, conservationists, and regular people with a deeper respect for our planet.

God’s work can be found in all aspects of life and Jane Goodall, in her quiet and humble way, was an instrument of the divine.

“And always I have this feeling — which may not be true at all — that I am being used as a messenger.”— Jane Goodall, “Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey”

Corrin Gani is the minister of The Church of the Path, a church that unifies Western and Eastern traditions, focusing on personal spiritual growth. churchofthepath.org