Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play.

For more than 60 years, Jane Goodall studied the social and family life of chimpanzees, and today she is considered the world’s leading expert on these particular primates. But her path wasn’t easy: Her initial studies faced criticism from her primarily male colleagues, many of whom saw her as lacking objectivity. Yet it was her close relationship with the chimpanzees that allowed her to see the animals in a whole new light — and to see them as far more similar to humans than the scientific community typically believed. Goodall’s career has inspired countless others to fight for environmental conservation and animal rights. As this quote reminds us, on this planet — our only home — everyone has the ability to make a difference.