Jane Goodall exhibit honors her legacy and advocacy efforts

A traveling exhibit honoring the life and legacy of the late Jane Goodall is now on display at the Museum of the Rockies (MOR). There, visitors can learn more about her life, research and worldwide impact as a conservationist and humanitarian. 

The MOR, National Geographic and The Jane Goodall Institute joined forces to bring her life story to Bozeman with a traveling exhibit titled “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall.” 

Goodall spent her life focused on conservation and discovery, making a name for herself as one of the most recognized and celebrated primatologists and anthropologists in history. 

Goodall passed at the age 91 on Oct. 1 — coincidentally, the same day the exhibit opened at the MOR. Brian Helms, the graphic design and exhibit specialist for the MOR, said that they had been in communication with National Geographic for over a year about housing the traveling exhibit.

“It was just really cool the way it all worked out, that we got to get the exhibit when she suddenly became — for lack of a better word — extremely relevant,” he said. “It's very unfortunate about her passing, but at the same time, we get to celebrate her legacy in life here, which is really cool.” 

The interactive exhibit takes visitors through Goodall’s life, spanning from her childhood in London to her time in the Gombe Forest in Tanzania, highlighting her lifelong advocacy for environmental issues and freeing captive chimpanzees. 

“What we hope that can come out of this exhibit is a greater general appreciation for life in the natural world, but also just encourages kids that no matter where you are, you can make a difference,” Helms said. “If you want to go all the way to Africa like Jane did to study animals, you sure can — but also, just look outside at the Gallatin Valley.”

According to a biographical plaque in the exhibit, when Goodall was young, she was curious about the natural world. She grew up during World War II and spent her days poring over stories about Tarzan and Doctor Doolittle. 

At 26 years old, Goodall made her way from London — where she was born — to what is now Tanzania, where she spent 60 years conducting research. Over the course of her career, she redefined scientific understanding of primates and changed the landscape for female explorers and conservationists, according to the biographical plaque.

The exhibit tells the story of Goodall’s life in her own words with letters, field notes and projections of her that guide museum guests through her advocacy and scholarship. It features a replica of her camp in the Gombe Forest as well as photos and artifacts from her life. 

“It really does invite you to almost literally walk in her footsteps,” Helms said. “It's a lot more than just, ‘Hey, come read some stuff about what she did and what she was and what her life was about.’ You get to actually be led by the hand by Jane.”

“If you're looking for something that's engaging, that's important and super relevant, I couldn't think of a better place to be than our exhibit here at [the MOR],” he said.

The exhibit will be at the MOR until Jan. 18. To learn more, visit https://museumoftherockies.or