Goodall all good with local kids

BOSTON. She’s a voice for humanitarian and environmental efforts worldwide, a United Nations Messenger of Peace and the only human recognized for being accepted into chimpanzee society.

Thursday, Jane Goodall was all those things — chimpanzees aside — for hundreds of local kids.

In town to mark the marriage between her Roots & Shoots program and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Goodall spoke to area elementary school students at UMass-Boston, urging them to find something in the world they can make better.

“If you read [about problems in the world] and you feel your future doesn’t look bright and it’s our fault, you’re right,” Goodall told the children. “There are hundreds of thousands of ways to make a difference.”

Goodall’s “Reason for Hope” lecture detailed her fascination with animals as a little girl to her rise as a pre-eminent primatologist to her role as an international icon.

While her achievements are many, she expressed promise for the next generation.

“The main thing is you get to choose [how you help],” she said. “In this room there is someone to help animals, help people or help the environment.”