Conservationist Jane Goodall being remembered at Washington funeral

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While famous for studying chimpanzees, Goodall didn't stay an impartial observer. Ammie Kalan, a Canadian primatologist I interviewed after Goodall died, called her an "advocate for the Earth" who "lived her life trying to explain the importance of valuing the natural world."

That activism, her friend and colleague Kerry Bowman told me, began early. We told you Goodall gave names to chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania — but that move drew sharp criticism at the time as unscientific. That didn’t stop her, though.

At a 1986 primatology conference in Chicago, she was shocked by presentations on the scale of deforestation. She said: "I arrived at the conference as a scientist. I left as an activist." Following that, in 1977, she formed the Jane Goodall Institute to twin-track both study and conservation efforts of chimpanzees.

In 1991, she formed Roots & Shoots, a youth-oriented environmental and social justice program. Through the Institute, she would help found a sanctuary and be named a UN Messenger for Peace.

Her activism would continue for decades through speaking tours and community organization, reinforcing what Bowman called her ability to "see the beauty in non-human life."

Off-duty service dogs are flanking the steps of the cathedral as people enter for the funeral.

Some people are pausing to pet the dogs, part of a non-profit organization called People Animals Love.

An official with the Jane Goodall Institute tells me that dogs (not chimpanzees) were Goodall's favourite animal.

The program for today's funeral has been released and we now know actor Leonardo DiCaprio will be sharing a tribute to Goodall.

When she died on Oct. 1, DiCaprio shared a heartfelt message on social media, calling her a "dear friend" and celebrating her research and environmental activism.

DiCaprio himself has championed environmental causes, at times supporting Goodall and her institute. The two publicly expressed mutual admiration.

"My last message to Jane was simple: 'You are my hero.' Now, we all must carry the torch for her in protecting our one shared home," DiCaprio wrote in his post.

People around the world know who Jane Goodall is, in part thanks to the many films, TV programs and books documenting her life and work.

She was the subject of acclaimed documentaries such as Jane (2017), Jane's Journey (2010) and Jane Goodall: The Hope (2020), as well as earlier National Geographic specials that introduced her chimpanzee research to the world.

She was also a frequent guest on programs by the BBC, PBS and CNN, and wrote influential books including In the Shadow of Man, Through a Window and The Book of Hope, in addition to several works for children.

And she's simply been in the zeitgeist for what feels like forever. The Simpsons' character Dr. Joan Bushwell is a kind of affectionate parody modelled after Goodall. She also voiced herself in a short promo for 2006's Curious George. The makers of the Madagascar movies have said they were inspired by Goodall's work.

Katrina Machet, a retired teacher, came from Texas for the funeral. At the school where she taught in New Jersey, she established a branch of Goodall's Roots & Shoots program, designed to get kids involved in conservation programs.

"As a child, Jane was my hero," Machet told me. "Then as an adult, I incorporated everything that she advocated for into our school program."

She described today as emotional but also like a reunion. "The only person that's missing is Jane."

Goodall became famous for her groundbreaking discoveries about chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. One of her most notable observations was of chimpanzees making and using tools.

In 1960, She observed a chimpanzee named David Greybeard using a twig he'd stripped leaves off of to fish termites out of a mound. (Goodall was also the first in the science world to give primates names, now a common practice.)

Goodall discovered that chimpanzees hunt and eat meat, form complex social relationships and show emotions such as affection and jealousy. She also documented a "war" of chimpanzees in the park that lasted years, as well as close maternal bonds and individual personalities among the chimps.

The discoveries reshaped long-held scientific beliefs, showing that the line between humans and other animals was thinner than previously thought.

The funeral lineup has started moving

The lineup for the invitation-only funeral stretches all the way around the cathedral grounds. Officials have started letting people inside well before the start of the service.

The cathedral is described on its website as "a sacred space where the country gathers during moments of national significance." It's been the site of state funerals for U.S. Presidents, most recently Jimmy Carter in January.

It's a chilly morning with clear blue skies here in the capital city, where the Jane Goodall Institute has its U.S. Headquarters.

Jane Goodall, chimpanzee researcher and conservationist, dead at 91

Jane Goodall, the British conservationist and researcher renowned for her work with chimpanzees, has died at age 91. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed her death on Instagram Wednesday, saying she died of natural causes.

Goodall was on a speaking tour in California when she died, leaving the science world in deep mourning.

Her funeral service is being held at the Washington National Cathedral in northwest Washington. You can watch as it unfolds in the livestream at the top of our page.

Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, will preside over the ceremony. Members of Goodall's family, as well as other speakers, are expected to offer tributes.

Goodall, the world-famous primatologist, activist and environmentalist who made ground-breaking discoveries about animal — and therefore human — life, died last month at 91.

Goodall spent decades living among the chimpanzees in what is now the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, and the rest of her life travelling the world to raise awareness about the effects of climate change.

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