SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 CONTINUED GOODALL from page 11 In accordance with one of Goodall’s concerned,” Sykes says, “but the truth is, we are the most urbanised nation on earth. Almost 90 per cent of us live in a coastal city, quite disconnected from nature.” Australia has the dubious honour of holding the planet’s worst mammalian extinction record, and Sykes points out that some of our most culturally prized furry friends are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. “You’re looking at greater gliders, mountain pygmy possums, the northern hairy-nose wombat, koalas for goodness’ sake, the platypus,” she says. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.” In nearly two decades of operation, the JGIA has kept hope alive by following its namesake’s optimistic yet pragmatic values. “Jane was never about being defeated by those overwhelming issues,” Sykes believes. “But it’s not passive-cross-your-fingers-hope; it’s hope with its sleeves rolled up. It’s a call to action, right? The antidote to despair is action – doing something about it.” final wishes, the JGIA has set into motion a “soil-under-the-nails learning” programme titled Rewild Your World, empowering children from kindergarten to Year 12 (ages four to 18) to engage with conservation and, ideally, follow in the late primatologist’s wildlife warrior footsteps. “We must aim for this to become quite mainstream environmental education in all schools, frankly,” Sykes says, “because Jane believed very, very deeply in the power of children to herald a different future.” The benefits of the educational programme are various: developing green corridors that practically aid wildlife; offering schools a free, structured approach to learning about conservation beyond the classroom setting; and perhaps addressing eco-anxiety, at a time when youth mental health is in crisis. “This is agency, empowerment, a toolkit to make it different,” Sykes says. “There’s simply nothing better you can do for the health and wellbeing of young minds.” Speaking on ABC’s 7.30 Report in 2024, Goodall specifically addressed the towering challenge faced by local environmental advocates. “I have seen so many places where nature has been completely destroyed by human activities,” she said. “Give that place time and maybe some help, and nature will return. So, the message in Australia will be: you have done immense harm, but it’s not too late.” Sykes shares the same faith, even as the JGIA faces an uncertain transitional period in the wake of Goodall’s death. “There is a heck of a lot riding on this, and I do feel the weight of it on my shoulders,” she says of Rewild Your World’s continuation, “because it feels to me truly, immensely important that, together, we continue Jane’s work. We might have lost Jane, but we must not lose the impact that she brought to the world, and we’ve got to do it now.” The CEO is upfront about the support needed to bring Rewild Your World to Australia’s students, parents, schools and landscapes, and the broader need for environmental awareness and action, on Australia’s shores and beyond. The problem can feel impossibly daunting, like Goodall’s early days as a “tiny, young” girl standing before the thick, dark jungle. And so, in the face of this monumental uncertainty, it seems timely to bring up something completely different. There is an urban legend about a 1987 cartoon by American cartoonist Gary Larson for his comic strip The Far Side. It depicts two chimpanzees sitting on a tree branch, one grooming the other. “Well, well, another blonde hair,” the ape in the back scowls: “Conducting a little more ‘research’ with that Jane Goodall tramp?” The story goes that the Jane Goodall Institute disapproved of the gag, only for Goodall herself to later declare that she personally thought it was hilarious. Sykes hasn’t heard of the incident. But she laughs on Goodall’s behalf. “That was exactly her sense of humour,” Sykes says. “She would’ve loved that.” Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo GROUNDCOVER NEWS 13 PETS from page 9 If I opened a can of food right now, she'd be in here cussing at me. And I'd cuss right back at her.” He added, “I affectionately call her my little attention whore. Because she has this routine: she'll eat, and then she's gonna want you to love on her. Gotta get the whole package.” “Yeah. I like cats," I shared. “I'm not a big fan of dogs.” Josh responded, “If you had asked me before I got her, I would have told you I was a dog person. I don't like cleaning the litter box.” “Yeah, that part,” I said. “That's primarily why I don't want to have a dog, because I don't want to clean up its poop.” “See, I can deal with that. I'll take the dog out as much as it needs and I'll clean up after it. I don't have to worry about it in the house.” “That makes sense,” I responded. Josh continued, “But topic: ‘Look,’ I said, ‘you just told me you got another dog. Right. You know Angel doesn't like other pets or kids at all. Right. You see how happy she is here. Let's make this her happy home and her forever home, and you guys come see her whenever you want to.’ She told me she would have to talk to her daughter about it, and the next time I heard from her was a month and a half later with ‘How’s Angel?’ After that much time has passed, they're obviously not that interested in getting her back so as far as I'm concerned, she's mine.” Then I asked Josh, “When you brought Angel to live with you, did you have to do anything special with the landlord?” Josh confided, “They didn’t know I then they found a place to live and the cat couldn't come with them. By then, you know, I was too attached. So I brought up the fact — well, she had been gone for two months, you know what I'm saying? Hadn't even called or anything in two months. And when she showed up, Angel was laying on the bed, and then pulled one of her ‘F this shit, I'm out’ moments. Angel treated her like she was a stranger and ran and hid under the bed. I used that as a kind of leverage, you know. So I broached the had her at first, but things have a way of working out for me. I ended up needing some maintenance in my apartment. This was after she had been here for months. And they ask if you have a pet because they come in and out and don’t want to let it escape. The work I needed done was in the bathroom where I kept the litter box. There's no way I'm gonna hide that litter box. I'm not gonna try to. Right. So I went up to the office and told them it was only supposed to be a couple-aweeks thing. I was told ‘Don’t worry about it.’ But it's supposed to be a $250 non-refundable fee and $25 extra a month. But I am going to have her certified as an emotional support animal so they can’t change their mind and charge me and/or make me get rid of her.” Then Josh shared this thought, “The first two pets that I wanted were shot down immediately by a certain individual (referring to his partner Janice). My first choice was a monkey. I wanted a little Capuchin monkey. A friend of mine back in the '90s had one of them, and he used to dress it up in clothes. It was so cute. But she said no. And then I met Pastor Anna's pet pig. Fun fact. I was in my 40s and didn't know that they had pigs with hair! And I also learned that they can be litter-boxtrained. So I just imagined hanging out on the couch and watching TV with my pet pig.” “That would be so cute,” I commented. “That would be Facebook-worthy.” I confronted his partner about this: “Hey Janice,” I said. “Yeah?” she replied. “How come you won't let Josh have a monkey?” I asked. “Yeah, why can't I have a monkey?” chimed Josh. “He doesn't need a monkey,” said Janice. “Not even an emotional support monkey?” I pleaded. “Yeah. It'll be just like the episode of Friends,” Josh threw in. “No,”’she said firmly. “No? He wants a pig too,” I tried. “No. Just no. No pig either,” said Janice adamantly. “But pigs are clean,” I countered. “No, no piggies,” she declared. I was defeated. Josh brought us back to reality. “I have to think about my son, though, he's non-verbal autistic. “This is what goes through my mind right? Like with a monkey. I just imagine I look over there and he's got the monkey by the neck.” (Josh imitates a child throttling a monkey.) “Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! Just trying to figure out what the heck it is because he's so confused.” “Right,” I agreed, “yeah, that image. Well, okay then, so probably not a monkey.” Josh agreed, “Right, not a monkey.” If you are interested in helping a neighbor experiencing homelessness with their animal companion, you can call the Humane Society of Huron Valley at (734) 661-3550 for pet food assistance, emergency care support, or their Friends for Life program which coordinates food, medicine, and general support between friends and neighbors with the needs of homeless pets. Also available is the Pet Pals Mutual Aid Network, a Washtenaw County grassroots group that runs a no-barrier pet food pantry for unhoused, housing-insecure and low-income pet owners at Peace House, 706 Davis St., Ypsi (currenly 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.). You can check their updates and community work via the Pet Pals Mutual Aid Facebook Page.
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