Lincoln Park Zoo Hosted Dr. Jane Goodall at Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon

CHICAGO (September 12, 2025) – Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed Dr. Jane Goodall to Chicago for the Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon on September 11, hosted by the zoo’s Women’s Board. The event raised over $600,000 in support of Lincoln Park Zoo’s animal care, welfare, conservation, and learning programs.

During this event, Dr. Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace, joined by Dr. Megan Ross, President and CEO of Lincoln Park Zoo, for a conversation about hope, inspired youth, and wildlife conservation. The luncheon also introduced the inaugural Susan L. Regenstein Award for Conservation Leadership in honor of Chicago philanthropist and conservationist, Susan L. Regenstein.

“I am honored to join Lincoln Park Zoo in supporting and celebrating women who are doing so much to help us understand and protect wildlife,” said Dr. Jane Goodall. “The Lincoln Park Zoo team has a long history of advocating for chimpanzees, whether in human care or in the wild, which has helped an untold number of individuals thrive. Through their research and support they continue to substantiate what I learned very early in my research in Gombe— chimpanzees, like all animals, possess distinct personalities, minds, and emotions.”

Dr. Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Lincoln Park Zoo have each worked for more than 40 years on their shared mission to better understand and improve the lives of chimpanzees in human care and in the wild. Dr. Goodall attended the first gathering of the world’s leading chimpanzee experts in Lincoln Park in 1986 for the “Understanding Chimpanzees” conference. This gathering marked a turning point in Dr. Goodall’s life and career, deepening her awareness of the unethical treatment of chimpanzees and shifting her focus from studying chimps in the wild to advocating for their protection. In the decades following, Dr. Goodall has become one of the fiercest advocates for conservation on a global scale, inspiring countless individuals to join her in making a positive difference for the planet.

“It’s hard to imagine what the world of chimpanzee advocacy would look like without Jane. She has come to define the movement and I’m so proud to fight alongside her for the care and conservation of chimpanzees everywhere,” said Megan R. Ross, Ph.D., President and CEO of Lincoln Park Zoo. “I left our conversation feeling inspired by Jane’s commitment to making the world a better place for humans and animals alike, and I’m so grateful we were able to share her message with even more people this week.”

The Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon was made possible by the support of presenting sponsors The Regenstein Foundation and The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Family Foundation. Thank you to Lincoln Park Zoo Board Chair Fran Edwardson; Women’s Board President Mary MacGregor; and luncheon co-chairs Beth Keis, Megan Weiland, and Sue Charles Weinstein. Hosted by the Women’s Board of Lincoln Park Zoo, The Women Supporting Wildlife Luncheon raises crucial funds for the zoo. For the last 50 years, the Women’s Board has raised millions of dollars to support state-of-the-art animal habitats, renowned learning programs, and zoo conservation and science initiatives.

About Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo inspires communities to create environments where wildlife will thrive in our urbanizing world. The zoo is a leader in local and global conservation, animal care and welfare, learning, and science. A historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, the not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo is a privately-managed, member-supported organization and is free and open 365 days a year. Visit us at lpzoo.org.

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