New Field Museum exhibit tells the story of pioneer Dr. Jane Goodall
CHICAGO - A new exhibit about to open in Chicago aims to educate, entertain and inspire – all with the help of Jane Goodall.
"Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall" is the first big exhibit to open at the Field Museum since COVID-19 hit.
It is an interactive exhibit that uses pictures, video and technology to have Goodall tell her story. It focuses on her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees and how she revolutionized science, but scientists at the Field Museum say it is more than that. According to Dr. Abigail Derby Lewis, "it’s about hope, and we're all wanting and needing to help in our lives about now."
For Dr. Derby Lewis, this exhibit is personal. She says when she was a girl, she wanted to study primates but was told, "that's actually not a job." So she wrote Jane Goodall asking how she did it. Goodall wrote back to the then-teenager in Joliet, as well as her mom, giving advice and support.
Derby Lewis is now a conservation ecologist at the Field Museum and says, "having a little bit of Dr. Goodall magic sprinkled around, it goes a long way to really giving young girls confidence that they can go after the jobs and the work that they're really inspired to do."
Jane Goodall credited her own mother with supporting her curiosity as a young girl in London, then eventually camping out in Africa as Jane studied chimpanzees, even though Jane had just finished secretarial school.
"Just her curiosity was enough to lead her into this, into this world of discovery," exhibition project manager Emily Parr said.
The exhibit is not just about Goodall's work in the past, but about inspiring others to become like Jane right here in Chicago.
"You can go far away to the wilderness to find nature and support nature. You can also do it right here in your own backyard," Lewis said.
From helping butterflies to taking nature walks, the exhibit gives ideas to connect to nature. It also has a focus on conservation and climate change, which Dr. Goodall works on still at the age of 87.
"It's not something for those scientists over there, but it's something that is meaningful and possible for each and every one of us," Parr said.
The Becoming Jane exhibit opens Friday and goes through September 6 at the Field Museum.