LEADING THE WAY Jane Goodall arrived at Gombe Stream in the summer of 1960 This nature reserve is in Tanzania a country in East Africa She was 26 years old Goodall soon became the world’s top expert on the chimpanzees of Gombe She tracked the apes She was interested in their social lives She watched how they interacted Her work changed the Goodall has been working to protect chimpanzees for decades 5 CHAPTER ONE
field of ethology This is the study of animal behavior Goodall became a powerful defender of chimpanzees Jane Goodall and STEM Goodall’s work blazed a path for women in STEM careers STEM stands for science technology engineering and mathematics Most people expect STEM careers to involve things such as computers rockets or robots Many of these careers do Even Goodall uses technology But her STEM career began with simple handwritten notes Goodall did not set out to open a path for women She was only following her dream She was determined to study animals in Africa She did 6 Inspiring Followers Jane Goodall’s work has inspired many women Two famous ones also worked with apes Like Goodall they lived in the wilderness Dian Fossey studied mountain gorillas in the African country of Rwanda She founded the Karisoke Research Center Dr Biruté Galdikas studied orangutans on the Asian island of Borneo She has received many awards for her work
not let anything stop her Goodall convinced people that chimps were not just research subjects They were individuals with personalities They had thoughts and emotions Before Goodall’s work scientists did not believe this Now they do A Different Kind of Pioneer Another pioneer lived a very different life Rachel Carson was a marine biologist She worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the 1940s She wrote prize-winning books about oceans Then she became aware of dangerous pesticides She recognized they posed threats to wildlife 7 IN THE REAL WORLD Attacking a Female Scientist Pesticide companies called Rachel Carson a radical They said she was a sentimental nature lover who misused science Magazines such as Time and Life said she looked like more of a teacher or a stay-at home mother They ignored her scientific training Many people now call Carson the mother of the environmental movement But some still condemn her work
