This Adorable Story From When Jane Goodall Was One Year Old Has an Important Lesson for Us All

Today, Dr. Jane Goodall is known as one of the world’s foremost conservationists, famed for her tireless defense of environmental protection causes and her groundbreaking research into the lives of wild chimpanzees. By all accounts, her love of animals was present even at a very young age … but her mother had to gently explain to the young Jane that however much we may enjoy looking at another creature, holding them in captivity is never a good way to interact with them.

A post by the Dr. Jane Goodall Facebook page has revealed that when Jane was one-and-a-half years old, she was so enthralled by a group of earthworms she found in her family’s backyard, that she decided to take a handful of them with her to bed! When her mother found them, she “simply told Jane that if she kept them in her bed they would die because they need the Earth to live. So they both walked to the garden and returned the worms back to their home.”

This sweet story illustrates the far-reaching effect that a compassionate parent can have by teaching their kids to respect the natural world and all of the creatures within it. The early childhood lessons instilled by her mother undoubtedly helped shape Dr. Goodall into the conservation rockstar whom we know and love today.

Judging by this sweet photo of Jane as a child, with a stuffed monkey by her side, it looks like she always knew she would grow up to help chimps one day!

For advice on how you, just like Jane Goodall’s mother, can help your children to respect animals and nature, check out the great articles below:

• 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Kids More Compassionate
• 5 Things We Need to Teach Our Children About Protecting the Planet
• How to Teach Your Kids to Answer Questions About Eating Vegan
• Top 5 Conservation Programs That Help Kids Connect With Animals and Nature

In-text image source: Dr. Jane Goodall/Facebook