It’s been nearly sixty years since Goodall, Ph.D., D.B.E., founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace, first traveled to what is today Tanzania and courageously entered the little-known world of chimpanzees. By the mid-1980s Goodall realized that chimpanzee populations were decreasing because of habitat destruction, the live animal and bushmeat trades, and the primates’ susceptibility to human diseases. She also witnessed that the people who lived in many of the communities surrounding the chimpanzees’ habitat struggled with poverty and the lack of health and education facilities. Goodall realized that only by improving the lives of these people could humans hope to protect chimpanzees and their forests. She became increasingly concerned about the plight of infant chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade and those in captive situations. Finally, she realized that unless young people became better stewards than previous generations, all efforts to conserve the natural world would be made in vain. This led to her Roots & Shoots program that now has thousands of members of all ages in some 60 countries, all involved in hands-on projects to help people, animals and the environment.

From producer Lucky 8, JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE celebrates Goodall’s work and explores the ways in which her passion for wildlife has changed the world for the better. This new perspective illustrates the obstacles that Goodall has faced throughout her career and shows how, with a dedicated team and unshakable drive, she has overcome those obstacles to become one of the most important names in wildlife conservation.

JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE is currently in production and will air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages. The special is timed to the 60th anniversary of the beginning of Goodall’s work in Gombe in July 1960 and pays homage to the important impact her work has had on the world.

“This powerful special aims to shed a new light on how Jane’s commitment to her cause has transformed the way in which we think about wildlife conservation,” said Janet Han Vissering, senior vice president of production and development for National Geographic Global Networks. “Now, more than ever, it’s important to highlight stories of hope that inspire viewers to work together to protect our planet. Jane revolutionized our understanding of the natural world, and we are honored to be able to continue celebrating her legacy as one of the most influential women of our time.”

This story begins where JANE left off and showcases Goodall’s impact through her commitment to protect chimpanzees living in the wild — through the Jane Goodall Institute’s community-centered conservation program, TACARE (now active in six African countries) — and to improve the well-being of chimpanzees in captivity and at sanctuaries such as the Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of the Congo. Told through a combination of archival footage, present-day stories and on-camera interviews, JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE is an inspirational story that explores Goodall’s vast legacy and charts the many paths that stem from one woman’s hope for a better future.

JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE is produced by Lucky 8 for National Geographic. For Lucky 8, executive producers are Kim Woodard, Greg Henry, George Kralovansky and Isaac Holub. The special will be produced and directed by Kim Woodard and Elizabeth Leiter. For National Geographic, executive producer is Tracy Rudolph Jackson, senior vice president of development and production is Janet Han Vissering, and executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment is Geoff Daniels.