Fireside Chat | Jane Goodall’s Legacy: The Roots & Shoots of Hope

In-person or Online

Dr. Jane Goodall revolutionized the study of primates, and in the process redefined what it means to be human. Her unorthodox approach to studying chimpanzees propelled her to the highest levels of environmental achievement and made her the most famous woman scientist since Madame Curie.

On the one-year anniversary of Dr. Jane Goodall’s passing, Paul Sparrow will host a Fireside Chat in conversation with Linda Berdine. Linda was a good friend of Jane’s for over 30 years and a Global Board of Directors Member at the Jane Goodall Institute. They will explore Jane’s life and legacy, how she came to study chimpanzees in the wilds of Africa, and her evolution into a world-wide respected activist in the battle to save endangered species and protect our natural environment.

An important part of Jane’s legacy is the success of her youth program Roots and Shoots, which started with 12 students on the back porch of her home in Tanzania. It has now grown into a global organization with chapters in 140 countries reaching 150,000 students. Linda helped start the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Chapter at the Lewes Library, and the current members and leader will join the program to speak about their projects.

The Fireside Chat series is organized and moderated by Paul Sparrow, a writer, historical consultant, and the former Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Before moving to the FDR Library, he was the Deputy Director and Senior Vice President at the Newseum in Washington, DC. He is the author of the book, Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR's War of Words With Charles Lindbergh—and the Battle to Save Democracy.

President Franklin Roosevelt broadcast his first Fireside Chat on March 12th, 1933, just eight days after his inauguration. During his 12 years in office he delivered dozens of Fireside Chats, guiding America through the Great Depression, and guiding a global audience through the horrors of World War Two. FDR’s Fireside Chats were a new form of political communication, using radio to connect with Americans in an intimate setting – right in their living rooms. His compelling and persuasive broadcasts encouraged Americans to believe in democracy and its future. Paul Sparrow, a nationally recognized expert on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, hosts this series of programs that build on the foundation laid by FDR’s Fireside Chats, and find their relevance to our world today.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer. Each individual attending must register.

If you have need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email the library.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.