The great apes have lived in their forests for hundreds of thousand of years, never overpopulating, never destroying the forests.
Jane Goodall

I could write a book about this photograph but will resist the urge. That's for later. For the moment, suffice it to say that I was at Gombe Stream, Tanzania, Jane Goodall's former home and research station, when I took it. I was strolling alone at twilight, trying very hard to transport my mind back to the mid sixties when she began her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees at this very spot. The shy loner would come to be known as National Geographic's "cover girl", her face familiar worldwide, like coca cola, only prettier. I was humbled by this great lady's awesome spirit as I stood and gazed out over Lake Tanganyika, at the African sunset. This picture captures the mood and majesty of that moment.

Today, Jane Goodall sits atop a pyramid representing the world's foremost wildlife conservationists, a lofty perch once held by French oceanographer Jacque Cousteau. With his passing in the late nineties she took up the torch and has carried it with grace, in every step she takes, speaking passionately for her fellow creatures who can't speak for themselves. To walk in her footsteps in Tanzania was one of the great honors of my life.