From Conservation to Construction: Lessons from Jane Goodall’s Legacy

Jane Goodall and infant chimpanzee Flint reach out to touch each other's hands. Flint was the first infant born at Gombe after Jane arrived. With him, she had a great opportunity to study chimp development—and to have physical contact, which is no longer deemed appropriate with chimps in the wild. Gombe, Tanzania - via National Geographic

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”— Jane Goodall

On October 1, 2025, the world lost one of its most devoted voices for the natural world: Jane Goodall. Through her groundbreaking work as a primatologist, she revealed that chimpanzees experience emotion, forge bonds, and express love in ways that mirror our own. Jane’s gift lay not only in her science, but in her ability to remind us of something profound - that we are deeply connected to other species, and that our shared home, Earth, binds us all together.

Jane didn’t just study chimpanzees - she built a legacy of care and action. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues her life’s work on many fronts: protecting chimpanzees and their habitats, creating conservation programs that put local communities at the center, and inspiring young people worldwide through the Roots & Shoots program, which teaches them how to become conservation leaders. At the heart of it all is Jane’s belief that caring for the environment cannot be separated from caring for people - that our futures, human and animal alike, are deeply intertwined.

Jane Goodall’s legacy offers a powerful guide for how we think about sustainable building. When we design and construct, we have the opportunity to create projects that respect their surroundings—using materials and methods that minimize harm while restoring balance to local ecosystems. Just as Jane always worked hand in hand with local communities, sustainable building must prioritize human well-being alongside ecological goals: providing healthy indoor environments, equitable access to resources, and spaces that truly support the people they serve.

Much like her approach to conservation, we must move beyond simply “doing less harm” toward regeneration. How can the built environment exist in harmony with the natural world? How can we be stewards instead of takers?

We are fortunate to be part of a community taking decisive action. We are surrounded by inspiration—and that inspiration is contagious. Here at ecomedes, we are continuously iterating, striving to be the connective tissue between innovation, commerce, and environmental stewardship. Our goal is to transform data into wisdom, transactions into commitments, and everyday decisions into acts of planetary care.

Without all of you, we couldn’t do the work we do. So, in the spirit of Jane Goodall, remember: “Every day we make some impact on the planet. And the cumulative effect of millions of small ethical actions will truly make a difference.”

Learn more and donate to the Jane Goodall Institute here.