“Every single one of us makes an impact”: Jane Goodall & G Adventures inspire ethical travel

“We love you, Jane!!!” an enthusiastic fan shouted from the rafters of Meridian Hall as world-renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall stepped onto a stage to address a nearly sold-out theatre.

Downtown Toronto was abuzz Wednesday night (Sept. 3) as Dr. Goodall engaged a captivated audience at a special evening sponsored by G Adventures, which has a longstanding partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, a non-profit that works to protect chimpanzees, conserve the natural world, and empower people through community programs.

Ahead of Dr. Goodall’s keynote – and subsequent fireside chat with Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos – G hosted a reception for about 50 travel advisors and partners.

The gathering celebrated nearly a decade of collaboration between the tour operator and the Jane Goodall Institute, a partnership that continues to shape the conversation around sustainable travel and wildlife protection.

“We're so excited to be able to do this show with G Adventures,” said Bella Lam, CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, speaking to trade media at the event. “They’re long-time partners. Our message is that we can all play a part for the mission of Dr. Goodall and also for Jane Goodall Institute Canada. It's about creating a world where animals, people, environment are all interconnected, which is so on-brand with G Adventures and their sustainable travel message." 

"Whether through travel or whether to work with communities, we each have a role to play in making our shared planet a better place.”

That commitment has grown steadily since the partnership began eight years ago. 

What started as a traditional nonprofit-corporate relationship has evolved into a deep collaboration, Lam explained, leading to initiatives such as G’s animal welfare policy—developed with feedback from Dr. Goodall herself.

One of the most visible outcomes of the partnership is The Jane Goodall Collection by G Adventures, a series of 19 wildlife-focused tours across the globe that are endorsed by Dr. Goodall.

These experiences invite travellers to witness animals in their natural habitats while upholding the highest ethical standards.

“These trips really engage travellers…they get to experience wildlife, but in a sustainable and ethical way,” Lam said. “We've worked together on protecting habitats. There’s so much support through G Adventures, which has allowed us to carry out our mission to protect chimpanzees.”

For David Green, VP of customer and sales operations and managing director for Canada at G Adventures, the collection’s value goes beyond animal encounters.

“Jane Goodall endorses our tours to make sure they meet the high standards you'd expect when it comes to animal welfare. But it's more than just animal welfare. It's about protecting natural habitats as well,” he said.

“We want to make sure that travellers that go on a Jane Goodall Collection trip come away energized and aware of the role they play when travelling. It fits nicely with our approach to community tourism and goes beyond an animal welfare policy. It’s about the lasting impact that we leave.”

The partnership also empowers travel advisors with knowledge they can pass on to clients.

“G Adventures was a pioneer when it came to saying no to riding on elephants and going to animal sanctuaries,” Green went on to say. “We are continuing to educate travel agents so they can better inform the travel community about why they should not do certain things when they travel.”

He pointed out that while some attractions may appear ethical, travellers need to ask hard questions.

“Sometimes you may think that you're doing the world of good, going to an elephant sanctuary where those elephants are injured. But you've got to ask yourself why the elephants got there in the first place,” Green said. “Sometimes tourism can generate the wrong type of travel.”

That statement was central to the impactful 2021 G Adventures-produced documentary The Last Tourist, which features Dr. Goodall.

And for those curious about what a Dr. Goodall-approved tour look like in action, PAX experienced one firsthand in 2023, joining G and Canadian travel advisors in Borneo.

The trip included river safaris to spot rare wildlife like wild pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys, and a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre—an unforgettable immersion into the principles that underpin the Jane Goodall Collection.

Driven by curiosity 

Dr. Goodall’s journey began in childhood, where her passion for animals was nurtured by her mother.

“I had an amazing mother, and this made all the difference. I attribute an enormous amount of who I am and how I've come to her wisdom,” Goodall, now 91, told last night’s audience.

From an early age, her mother encouraged her curiosity—even when Goodall once vanished for hours to study how hens laid eggs.

Growing up in England during World War II shaped her worldview. “During the war in England, we were rationed every month for food… and we were still perfectly content. We have so much today that we don’t actually need,” she said.

Her modest upbringing, combined with her love of books—especially Tarzan of the Apes—sparked her dream of living in Africa to study animals.

Despite skepticism from others, her mother remained her biggest supporter. “She said, if you really want to do something like this, then you’re better to work really hard, take advantage of every opportunity and don’t give up.” That advice would guide Goodall for life.

Eventually, she secured passage to Africa, where she met the famed anthropologist Louis Leakey. Initially hired as his secretary, she soon joined his field expeditions. Around a campfire, Leakey recognized her potential. “[He] decided I was the person he’d been looking for to go and study our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees,” Goodall said.

Then, a breakthrough

In 1960, Goodall arrived at Gombe, Tanzania, with her mother by her side. Living in primitive conditions, she persevered through challenges, including baboons raiding supplies and fears of snakes and scorpions. Her mother boosted morale and even offered medical aid to local villagers, forging crucial community ties.

Breakthrough came when Goodall observed a chimpanzee named David Greybeard using tools to fish termites. “Back then, Western science thought humans, and only humans, used to make tools. We were defined as Man the tool user,” she said.

Her discovery challenged long-held scientific beliefs and drew global attention.

Despite skepticism from academics, Goodall trusted her instincts. “When I got to university, I was told by professors that I’d done everything wrong… You shouldn’t have given the chimpanzees names… You can’t talk about them having personalities, minds or emotions. Those are unique to humans,” she said.

But her observations proved otherwise: “Of course I’d named them. I’d begun to see how like us they are in their gestures and postures…chimpanzees also have a dark side…but they’re also capable of love, compassion and true altruism.”

"Every single one of us makes an impact"

Goodall later shifted from research to activism after witnessing deforestation and the decline of chimpanzees. She launched community-led conservation through the Jane Goodall Institute, helping local people while protecting wildlife.

Her message to young people became a global movement through Roots & Shoots, founded in 1991. “Every single one of us makes an impact on the planet every single day, and we get to choose what sort of impact we make,” Goodall said.

Today, the program spans 76 countries, empowering youth to lead conservation and humanitarian projects.

Goodall closed her talk with a message of resilience.

“We have opportunity ahead of us. If we get together with our intelligence, with a passion for change, helping our young people to understand there is hope, then we can make the change,” she said. 

For more on the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, click here.

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