An Unexpected Package with a Message of Hope

There’s something pretty magical about getting a package out of the blue. After I wonder ‘what did I order?’ and can’t think of anything, I get kind of excited. What is it?! Last Tuesday, it was an unexpected package with a message of hope from Jane Goodall.

The enclosed letter requests that our homeschool group donate one of the two books I received with food to a Little Food Pantry this month. These are advance reader copies of “The Book of Hope” by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams, which will be available later this month.

A Message of Hope

The Book of Hope is based around conversations between Goodall and Abrams about hope, a trait Goodall deems essential for human survival. She speaks of the survival of us as a species as well as the survival of our planet – a planet rich with plant and animal life that faces devastation from human misuse.

Goodall gives us four reasons for hope:

the amazing human intellect
the resilience of nature
the power of young people
and the indomitable human spirit

Within this framework, she and Abrams examine how we can cultivate hope in ourselves and others. Goodall is a storyteller, not a statistician. With Abrams’ guidance, she conveys her message of hope through anecdotes of world events she’s witnessed, the people and animals she’s met, and her interactions with nature over the past 87 years of her life.

Her inspiration for hope comes from an amazing range of sources; from orphan chimpanzees who thrived with human care to children in New York who successfully pushed to ban Styrofoam from their school lunches; from a blind magician who performs for audiences to a Kenyan quarry owner who voluntarily rehabilitated the habitat his company had destroyed; and from Winston Churchill who galvanized the Allies with his unparalleled speeches to young Burundi women who triumphed over a lack of education and resources.

Goodall cites a black robin in New Zealand that was brought back from the edge of extinction, date palm trees grown from two thousand year old seeds, a secret forest in Australia that survived 17 Ice Ages and still exists today, and so much more. The fact that she has so many stories to relate about hope is, in itself, a source of hope.

From Primates to Activism

Known for her 60 years of work in primatology, Goodall is just as famous for her environmental activism today. When she began advocating for animals and the environment, she soon realized the importance of helping people first. It was a new approach to conservation. By addressing the needs of people, particularly those living in horrible poverty and violence, Goodall was able to effect a more holistic change, ultimately helping people, animals, and the environment.

Her mission has become all consuming. Before the pandemic, Goodall was traveling 300 days a year, speaking to raise awareness and hope. During the pandemic, she’s continued to speak, averaging three virtual lectures or interviews a day, seven days a week.

Perhaps people have always felt a need for hope, but this book feels particularly relevant right now. Many of us are hyper aware of all the threats our world faces. We may define them differently through the lens of politics. We may see the methods for overcoming present day adversity in different ways. But we all need hope.

Roots and Shoots

Admittedly, I have a special connection to anything written by or about Jane Goodall. I’ve helped our homeschool students complete Roots and Shoots projects through the Jane Goodall Institute every year since 2014. The program provides a framework for student-led projects that help humans, animals, and the environment.

In 2015, I had the privilege of meeting Jane Goodall… sort of. Our students were the ones who actually had a conversation with her. My brief one on one interaction with her consisted of, “Can you sign this?” She smiled, graciously agreed, and commented that she enjoys Gary Larson’s humor.

Jane Goodall’s autograph on the foreword she wrote for cartoonist Gary Larson’s The Far Side Gallery 5

The event was a Gombe Grove tree planting up in Boulder. Jane kissed a leaf on the tree we planted before she moved on to start her speech… which she began with a pretty realistic chimpanzee greeting.

I read The Book of Hope all at once and now I’m looking forward to moving through it again more slowly. Goodall’s many stories deserve individual attention and consideration. Her forays into the sentinence of plants and the priority of animal rights may not resonate with everyone, but her thoughts on cultivating hope in ourselves and others for action and change should have universal appeal.

Goodall is a thinker who draws on the rich tapestry of her life to inspire others. A woman who has led an incredible life and continues to do so as she travels the world (physically or virtually) to encourage hope and environmental activism through story telling.

As I read The Book of Hope, I thought of how often I use the word hope. I realized this only recently during our homeschool ASL practice group session.

Apparently, there are at least three American Sign Language signs for the word ‘hope’. I have a hard time remembering even one and have to keep asking my deaf friend for the sign.

Now, in addition to recognizing my own affinity for the word hope, I’ve learned that chimpanzees are capable of learning up to 400 ASL signs, far more than I’ve mastered. (Of course, I’m hopeful I’ll improve.)

Stay hopeful!