Be the Jane you want to see in the world. Dr Jane Goodall showed us how she created change. If she can do it, so can we! That means you need to be here with us, excited to get started and ready to tackle the projects we're working on.
10 reasons you want to be part of the Jane Goodall Institute Belgium
With our Roots & Shoots initiatives we are working directly with the next generation of changemakers. These kids use technology in every aspect of their lives, so we want to meet them where they’re at. We are always looking for innovative ways to get people excited about creating a better world. We work with our partner TeraGO to plant trees while you meditate and are active on Trooper to raise money while you shop online for that next plant to add to your own home jungle (apes not included).
Like an ecosystem in which species are interdependent, we value close collaborations and friendships between our volunteers, partners and co-workers. Each volunteer adds value to the team and we welcome you to bring your skillset to JGI or learn new ones with us. Join a group of like-minded people, each of whom have a green heart, and maybe meet new friends while you make a difference!
We greatly value organisations that focus on a specific subject, but we like to look at the bigger picture. Without forests, there are no chimpanzees or other wildlife. Without strong communities to protect the chimpanzees and their habitats, no conservation efforts will remain. We need each other. So for each project we look at the impact on the environment, the animals and the people – we practise what we preach! For example, all catering at our events is vegetarian, ideally vegan. Sometimes this creates more of a challenge… but a challenge is just what we like!
We are an organisation that is primarily focused on preserving chimpanzees and their habitats and on local conservation actions. Everyone is welcome to support us in our efforts, and we welcome anyone regardless of their nationality, gender identification, religion, sexual preference, …We stand against racism, war and any form of oppression. This may not be the main purpose of our organisation, but as humans it’s our responsibility.
We most definitely walk the talk. We encourage our employees, board members and volunteers to start local initiatives in their own communities with our “walk the talk” program. In this program we ask our team to present some local initiatives, so we can work together to make this happen. This can be tree planting, roots & shoots projects or fundraising for our African projects.The same goes for our personal lives where we aim to make compassionate choices. Our team and board members lead by example.
We’re in the monkey business! Working on conservation and animal welfare means that sometimes we have to deal with harsh realities and witness a lot of negativity. But that doesn’t mean it has to be doom and gloom all the time. That’s why we value a positive mindset with a dose of humour on the side.
We take action in our local communities, but we also have a worldwide impact with our reforestation initiatives, chimpanzee sanctuaries and conservation programs in Africa. We are part of the global network of Jane Goodall Institutes that help and inspire each other. We value the interconnectedness of our organisation and draw inspiration from other countries and their efforts in preserving nature.
When a young chimpanzee enters our sanctuary, we commit to caring for it for the next 60 or so years. Thinking long term is not only a necessity, but it’s what we do. It’s reflected in our youth programs where we focus on the next generation to keep fighting for nature. Now, we don’t expect you to enter into a long-term commitment with us for 60 years – although that would be pretty awesome – but we do look for people who really embrace long-term thinking and want to build a steady relationship with our cause. No, we don’t need you to put a ring on it. 😉
Although chimpanzees don’t have spoken language, they are really great communicators. We, however, need a bit more than non-verbal communication to be able to work together. We’ve created small teams to make communication easier and have regular meet-ups so we can check-in with each other. These meet-ups of course start with a chimpanzee greeting. Want to know what that is? You’ll have to join to experience it!
If you would like to become part of our team, check out our volunteers section.