Primate expert Goodall comes to Kirkland school

By Sherry Grindeland
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

	THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES Jane Goodall speaks with fourth-graders Dana Michels, right, and Reily Blackner yesterday at Peter Kirk Elementary School in Kirkland. Students gave Goodall a tour of their outdoor classroom, which includes a salmon-hatchery project.
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Revered primatology expert Jane Goodall visited the Kirkland school yesterday morning, her only school appearance during a brief trip to Seattle. She will appear at a benefit for the Jane Goodall Institute tomorrow evening at the Pacific Science Center.

The 69-year-old woman, who proved humans aren't the only toolmakers during her African studies of chimpanzees in the 1960s, was touring the school's outdoor classroom when Brooke, a third-grader, made her find.

She had been explaining how her class planted red clover as a ground cover in the raised beds. Brooke is one of 74 students in Peter Kirk's Roots & Shoots Club, part of Goodall's international environmental and humanitarian program.

"I was just talking about the gardens when I found the four-leaf clover," Brooke said.

Earlier, Peter Kirk students greeted Goodall when she arrived by waving a giant peace dove — a symbol used by Roots & Shoots groups in 87 countries. Then the entire student body sat, enthralled, at an assembly as Goodall talked about her childhood. She told them she had wanted to be like Dr. Dolittle and talk to animals. She took a handful of earthworms to bed with her when she was a toddler, and at age 4, crawled into a chicken coop until she saw a chicken lay an egg.

An evening with Jane Goodall 5 p.m. tomorrow at Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle. Tickets: $75, available at the Science Center.

Goodall encouraged the children and admiring parents who crowded into the gym, telling them that small actions such as using less water can stop pollution, clean up the environment and promote peace. Roots & Shoots members already had the message. Their T-shirts read, "We can change the world."

The Peter Kirk Roots & Shoots group formed earlier this year. Although the outdoor classroom, including a salmon-hatchery project, was established several years ago, a chance meeting on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle connected the group with Goodall.

Heidi Tucker, co-president of the PTSA, sat next to Gary McAvoy, the Seattle base-camp leader for the Goodall Institute.

"As I talked about our outdoor classroom and salmon project, Gary said that Jane sometimes came to schools," Tucker said. "I was so excited. We set up her visit early."

Tucker's excitement was shared by the children. One, Philip Lindstedt, was so excited that he talked too much when explaining the salmon hatchery to Goodall. When it was his twin sister's turn to talk, fifth-grader Paulina Lindstedt said, "I have nothing to say. My brother just took my part."

A few students from each grade level were selected to give the tour. Goodall walked with the children, ignoring the dozens of adults who tagged along.

"Man, this is a lot of people," said Alex Lemme, a third-grader. "I expected photographers but not so many grown-ups."

After the tour, Goodall sat in the school library and answered questions.

Students learned her favorite animals are dogs, not chimpanzees, and that she let poisonous snakes crawl over her legs and feet while in the field in Africa.

"I stayed still, very still," she said.

Goodall disappointed a few when she added that researchers do not play with the wild chimps.

"Chimpanzees are the closest to humans," she said. "Their DNA, brains and blood are almost identical to ours. We don't play with wild chimps because they can catch our diseases."

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com

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