Jane Goodall's Legacy and Biocommunication: From Chimpanzee to Plants
In homage to Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025), pioneer of interspecies communication
A scientific revolution born from empathy
When, in 1960, a 26-year-old woman settled in the Gombe forest in Tanzania to observe wild chimpanzees, no one imagined the scale of the revolution she was about to unleash. Jane Goodall, without formal academic training at the time, dared to do what orthodox science considered heretical: she gave names to the chimpanzees rather than numbers, she recognized their emotions, their distinct personalities, and above all, she discovered that they made and used tools.
His 1960 discovery that chimpanzees create and use tools is considered one of the greatest scientific advances of the 20th century. This simple yet revolutionary observation transformed our understanding of the relationship between humans and animals. As his mentor Louis Leakey stated upon the announcement of this discovery: "Now we must redefine the tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human."
Biocommunication according to Jane Goodall
What distinguishes Jane Goodall's approach is her ability to observe without anthropocentric biases. For 65 years, she documented a sophisticated form of interspecies communication based on:
- Patient and respectful observation : Spending hours, days, years simply being present, without imposing expectations
- Recognition of individuality : Each chimpanzee has its own personality, emotions, and complex social relationships
- Non-verbal communication : Gestures, facial expressions, and body postures constitute a rich vocabulary
- Contextual vocalizations : The sounds emitted by chimpanzees have specific meanings depending on the context.
- Empathy as a scientific tool : Understanding others by putting yourself in their shoes, while maintaining scientific rigor
Jane Goodall demonstrated that behaviors once thought to be uniquely human—tool use, complex emotions, and the transmission of culture—are shared with our primate cousins. This discovery redefined what it means to be human and paved the way for a new understanding of consciousness in the animal kingdom.
From the Gombe forest to the garden: NaturaSounds and communication with plants
Today, we are witnessing a fascinating extension of these principles of biocommunication into an even less understood realm: that of plants. Just as Jane Goodall had to overcome the skepticism of the scientific community regarding the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees, modern research on plant communication faces its own paradigmatic challenges.
Plants communicate: an emerging scientific reality
Contemporary science reveals that plants emit ultrasonic sounds, particularly under stress. Recent research shows that tomato and tobacco plants emit airborne sounds at frequencies ranging from 20 to 150 kHz in response to drought, injury, and infection. These sounds can be detected by sensitive microphones placed 10 cm from the plant.
Even more fascinating, plants don't just emit sounds—they perceive them too. Studies show that plants can detect their neighbors and even recognize their relatives through sound vibrations, even in the absence of physical contact, chemical signals, or light. Research suggests that sound waves stimulate the production of plant secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, improving germination, flowering, growth, and defense mechanisms.
NaturaSounds: The Jane Goodall approach applied to the plant kingdom
It is in this pioneering spirit, inherited from Jane Goodall, that we develop our research with NaturaSounds. Our approach is based on the same fundamental principles:
1. Unbiased observation. Just as Jane observed chimpanzees without imposing her human expectations, we observe plant responses to sound frequencies with a scientific openness, documenting what actually happens rather than what we expect.
2. Respect for Otherness. Plants are not passive organisms awaiting our interventions. They are sentient beings endowed with their own systems of perception and communication. Our work with therapeutic frequencies (particularly in the 50-110 Hz range) reveals that plants respond in specific and measurable ways to different sound frequencies.
3. Patience and listening. Just as it took Jane Goodall decades to decode the language of chimpanzees, understanding the "language" of plants takes time. Our observations with NaturaSounds show that:
- Certain frequencies promote growth and vitality.
- Others stimulate natural defense mechanisms
- Plants exhibit variable frequency "preferences" depending on the species.
- The responses are reproducible and scientifically measurable.
4. Two-way communication. Jane Goodall didn't simply impose her presence on the chimpanzees—she learned their language. Similarly, with NaturaSounds, we don't just emit frequencies: we observe, measure, and adapt our approaches based on plant reactions.
Our field observations with NaturaSounds
In our experiments with different plants, we have documented:
- Growth stimulation : Regular exposure to certain low frequencies (particularly around 50-110 Hz) is correlated with accelerated growth.
- Improved stress resistance : Plants exposed to therapeutic frequencies showed greater resilience to adverse conditions.
- Species-specific responses : Each type of plant seems to have its "preferred frequencies", suggesting a form of "vibrational signature"
- Resonance effect : Plants seem particularly sensitive to frequencies that resonate with their own physical structures
Towards a new ethics of biocommunication
Jane Goodall's legacy teaches us that expanding our circle of empathy and communication beyond our species is not only possible - it is essential for our understanding of life and our survival on this planet.
If it took us decades to accept that chimpanzees possess intelligence, emotions, and culture, how long will it take to recognize that plants, too, communicate, perceive, and react to their environment in sophisticated ways?
The parallels are striking:
| Jane Goodall & the Chimpanzees | NaturaSounds & the plants |
|---|---|
| Discovering the use of tools | Discovering sound perception |
| Contextual voice communication | Ultrasonic stress emissions |
| Inter-individual recognition | Kin recognition (plant relatedness) |
| Cultural transmission | Transmission of information via chemical and sound signals |
| Emotions and personalities | Individualized responses to stimuli |
Conclusion: A symphony of life
Jane Goodall taught us that the boundary between "us" and "them" is far more blurred than we thought. Extending this lesson to plants, we discover that communication, sensitivity, and intelligence take on multiple forms in the living world.
With NaturaSounds, we explore this new territory with the humility and respect that Jane Goodall embodied throughout her life. Every frequency we test, every plant response we observe, brings us closer to a deeper understanding of this invisible network of communication that unites all forms of life.
As Jane so aptly put it in her later years: "What you need is hope. You can't live without hope. You have to have hope for the future."
Our hope, with NaturaSounds , is to contribute to this symphony of life where every being - animal, plant, human - finds its voice and can be heard.
In memory of Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025), who showed us that empathy is the foundation of all true science.
NaturaSounds - Because all life communicates, you just have to learn to listen.