As mentioned in last year’s Summer newsletter, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE was announced as the Templeton Prize Laureate for 2021. The Templeton Prize honours individuals whose exemplary achievements harness the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it.
The presentation ceremony was sadly delayed by Covid restrictions, but the Roots & Shoots team was very proud to be in attendance when it finally took place at the Natural History Museum in London on May 5. The event was held in the museum’s stunning Hintze Hall, where we sat beneath a huge blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. Named Hope, the skeleton is a reminder of humanity’s responsibility to protect our planet – a perfect setting for an event honouring Dr. Jane.
Celebrating Dr. Goodall’s outstanding achievements and global impact in the realms of science and conservation, this prize affirms her role as a singular figure of the last century catalysing positive change on an international scale. During the event, Dr Jane was interviewed by CNN’s Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour, before a Q&A with the audience.
Each Templeton Prize laureate receives a medal and bespoke scroll relating to their life and work. We were so excited to see that Dr. Jane’s scroll featured the Roots & Shoots logo! Other elements included a leaf to represent the beech tree she would climb as a child; her favourite childhood book, Tarzan; an egg to represent her curiosity; an image of one of her favourite chimpanzees, Flo and the Jane Goodall Institute logo.
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