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Korea`s ecology institute names tracking path after Jane Goodall

Korea`s ecology institute names tracking path after Jane Goodall

Posted November. 24, 2014 05:03,   

한국어

"Ecobrity" is a newly coined term to call celebrities who have much interest in the environmental and animal issues. Representative ecobrities may be actress Angelina Jolie and actor Pierce Bronson. Both of them named primatologist Jane Goodall as the person who they respect most. K-pop singer Lee Hyo-ri, who is now actively engaged in protection for abandoned dogs, also said Dr. Goodall is her mentor. Born in London, the U.K., in 1934, Dr. Goodall went to the African continent at the age of 26 and started her career in research on chimpanzees.

In the 60s while studying wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, Goodall became the first scientist who proved the fact that "animals, besides human, can use tools." She found that chimpanzees can use leaves to catch and eat termites, chimpanzees are not herbivore, and they have their own strong order and emotions. Her research on chimpanzees let to respect for living creatures. Deeply concerned about decrease in the chimpanzee population due to habitat destruction and poaching, Goodall had turned into an environmental activist.

Aged 80 this year, Goodall gives lectures on animals and environment protection touring the world for 300 days every year. Her relations with Korea run deep. She has visited Korea almost every year since 2003. The youth is of her interests these days. The primatologist saw the young generations, who do not follow the suit of older generations and not tainted by materialism, will be the only hope to revive the earth in the future. Youth environment activist group "Roots and Shoots," established by Dr. Goodall, started with 12 Tanzanian children but now has grown into a global organization with 150,000 members in 110 nations.

National Institute of Ecology (NIE) had a ceremony to name a tracking path after Jane Goodall on Saturday, with Dr. Goodall herself attended. The path is made in the 1-km section of forest inside the institute with aims to show her life and achievements. Selected 300 people among those who sent applications attended the ceremony. Goodall is visiting Korea for the release date of a documentary film "Jane Goodall," which depicts a normal woman realizing the preciousness of life and growing into a great primatologist through relations with chimpanzees. Her question of “How come the most intelligent animal in the earth, human beings, can destroy the earth?” will give a food for thought to all of us in Korea.