Jane Goodall inspires hope for animals on the brink of extinction

Sally Reed — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:17:17 +0000

There’s no question that here on the blue planet we have been poor stewards of the environment. The news is worrisome, the predictions dire. So there is something healing and energizing about hearing a hopeful message from a well-informed, wise, and purehearted individual. Zoologist Jane Goodall is just such a person. Through her pioneering work with the chimpanzees of Gombe, she has inspired many young girls who love animals to dream of lives working in the wild, as field biologists. Goodall is a gracious presence, lightly humorous, and as far from pompous as a person can get. She begins this wonderful talk for the Library of Congress Webcast series by hooting like a chimpanzee. It’s uncanny what a perfect mimic she is! She tells inspiring success stories from her new book — the efforts of dedicated environmentalists to rescue endangered animals at the brink of extinction. Goodall is a lovely and lively 75 years old. Don’t miss her. She’ll stir you to action, and fill you with hope.

Not necessarily the cruellest month

Sally Reed — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:26:00 +0000

April is national poetry month, and there is great stuff out there on the internet. Of all the rich offerings, perhaps the most engaging is Robert Pinsky’s Favorite Poem Project. This collection of short videos showcases individuals reading and speaking intimately about poems they love. These videos, a permanent part of the Library of Congress spoken word archive, are a wonderful teaching and learning tool. It’s hard to pick a favorite because so many are so good. Teenage girls might particularly enjoy Minstrel Man (read by a Cambodian-American girl who survived Pol Pot’s Killing Fields) This page will take you to the video selection. I gained a new appreciation of Sylvia Plath’s Nick and the Candlestick after seeing and hearing photographer Seph Rodney recite. His intensity, intelligence and vitality will grab you, too, I’ll bet. He says of his first reading of the poem, “It was powerful, rough, bitter, caustic, and at the same time urgent about the need for love.”

All Girls » library of congress

Jane Goodall inspires hope for animals on the brink of extinction

Not necessarily the cruellest month