1. Jane Goodall’s Australian Tour
Jane Goodall’s Australian Tour- Celebrating her 80th Year- was a great success thanks to our many volunteers, supporters, media, sponsors and dedicated personnel. Jane reached approximately 30 million people through media circulation and events, raising awareness of the Institute to an unprecedented level. Thank you Jane for coming to Australia! We miss you already!
Photos of the tour, kindly taken by Phil Hines Photography, can be seen here.
2. Thank You to Sponsors
Jane’s tour would not have been possible without sponsorship support. Most sponsorship was specific to an event, with the exception of Qantas who was our major tour sponsor. We’d also like to thank our many other sponsors on this page.
3. Return of the Phasmid Book Launch
On June 25, at the Melbourne Zoo, The Return of the Phasmid was launched by JGI CEO, Natalie Houghton (left). The book, written by Rick Wilkinson (right), tells the extraordinary story of a stick insect who, after being decimated by rats on Lord Howe Island, was believed to be extinct for 80 years, only to be rediscovered in a tiny rock crevice in the middle of the sea! Natalie said the book shows us “what good people can do when they’re determined. We need more books like The Return of the Phasmid to raise our spirits and give us hope”. The book, including a foreward by Jane Goodall, is available through this link.
4. Roots & Shoots Spotlight
Recently, a Geelong based R&S group launched the Roots & Shoots Girls Education Project. Their first campaign is in support of JGI’s Peer to Peer Education Program in Uganda. The Peer to Peer Education program is a part of JGI’s community conservation approach and the campaign’s goal is to raise $8000 to support 80 girls throughout their entire high school education. That’s just $100 for a single girl’s whole secondary schooling! You can find out more about this amazing campaign here, and check out their campaign resource if you’re interested in fundraising or getting involved.
5. What’s Happened to Wounda?
Many of you have seen the heartrending video of Wounda, the chimpanzee, being released onto Tchindzoulou Island. The expansion of JGI’s Tchimpounga Rehabilitation Centre to the islands creates much needed space at the current sanctuary site and gives chimpanzees like Wounda more space to thrive in a safe, more natural environment, free from poachers. Wounda is now sharing the island with 11 other chimps and their carers and we hope to relocate another 48. You can help by joining our Chimp Guardian program here.
