Becoming Jane

Dr. Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace, braved the unknown to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives: chimpanzees. While conducting her intensive, long-term study in Gombe, Tanzania, Dr. Goodall kept a field journal. With hologram technology we brought these notes and illustrations to life as a visual representation of her discoveries.

One goal of this exhibit was to inspire ways that we can help our planet, and we brought environmental awareness to visitors with the Tree of Hope. As individuals pledged to make changes to their lifestyle, their names were added as leaves to a tree that became full and vibrant — showing that many small efforts can create change in our environment when done as a group.

Because of JGI’s innovative science, we can now understand the change of chimpanzee habitats over time, and we helped consolidate this data in an easy to digest interactive map. Users could guide themselves through the different parts of the chimpanzee range in Africa, gaining a better understanding of how these habitats have been impacted by deforestation and the other consequences of human expansion.

“Becoming Jane” is a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and is supported with generous assistance from the Linda K. Berdine Foundation and Dov and Elma Levy.