We are living in a state of turmoil, with our world riven by civil unrest, cross-border conflicts and cruel inhumanity. It may be the case that the peoples of the Earth have never been totally at peace — but Dr. Jane Goodall was one of those incredibly special people who refused to accept that peace on Earth was an impossibility.
The Jane Goodall Institute has announced that Dr. Goodall died at 91 on October 1, 2025. Beyond just a remarkable example of courage and conviction, she worked tirelessly throughout her life to raise awareness of how human activity posed existential threats to wildlife, to promote conservation, and to inspire a more harmonious, sustainable relationship between people, animals and the natural world.
Spreading compassion, harmony and understanding was her life’s work. At the beginning of 2025 President Biden awarded her the United States’ Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to science and her tireless advocacy for our planet.
To mark her passing and in her honour, Netflix has just released Famous Last Words: Dr. Jane Goodall, a documentary that recounts the story of her groundbreaking journey, which began over 60 years ago in Tanzania and led to her working in 34 chimpanzee eco-regions, and how her youthful passion for animals evolved into showing the world the interconnectedness of all living things and the collective power of individual action. The film features one of her final interviews, conducted earlier this year, and is sure to leave viewers inspired and in awe of how much we can learn about our own humanity when we examine the natural world with an honest and intimate focus.
Dolce is honoured to have showcased Dr. Jane Goodall as our Cover Star for the Winter 2020 issue. In a time when the world seems to have lost its moral compass, may Dr. Goodall’s life’s work live on.
