Animals and plants are sentient beings - An interview with Jane Goodall

The Templeton foundation is a philanthropic foundation that every year grants a prize to a laureate. This year, the winner of the prize was Jane Goodall, the renowned conservationist, and primatologist.
Goodall was interviewed by the head of the Templeton Foundation, Heather Templeton, who commented that “Goodall’s achievements go beyond the traditional parameters of scientific research to define our perception of what it means to be human.”
In her interview, she talks a lot about the amazingness of animals and how they are sentient beings, but we were not always aware of this.
Instead, science gradually came around to understanding that we are a part of the animal kingdom, and not something different.
She describes her experience in nature and how she felt a strong presence of a spiritual power that seemed to be in every living thing around her. And she thought “if we have a soul and a spirit then other creatures do too, the animals and the trees”. Remember these were only the 60’s so things that seem obvious now, were groundbreaking findings back then.

When asked how she managed to be the busiest during the pandemic, she answered that the internet was a huge tool to keep learning and teaching through zoom and video calls, in fact, the interview with the Templeton foundation was recorded through zoom.
The interview didn’t finish without Goodall imparting some wisdom. “There’s a window of time to effect change” she began, “but we have damaged the planet in so many places that the window is closing, we must take action now.”
If you don’t have hope, why bother. Hope inspires you to action.
The Templeton prize is meant to encourage curiosity, humility, and the recognition that we do not know everything.