Jane Goodall Reveals She's Celebrating Her Milestone 90th Birthday with a Salute from 90 Dogs (Exclusive)
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“I'm celebrating for a whole year,” the famed conservationist tells PEOPLE
Sven Hoppe/dpa (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty
Dr. Jane GoodallA group of lucky canines will take part in celebrating the upcoming 90th birthday of Dr. Jane Goodall.
The iconic British primatologist and anthropologist, whose birthday is April 3, tells PEOPLE that she's looking forward to an upcoming event honoring her in California next week.
“I'm going to be greeted by a 90-[dog] salute," she says. "Can you imagine? Drones are going to [capture] the whole thing from above.”
However, more celebrations for the renowned conservationist are planned for the entire year of 2024, including a large party in New York and fundraising activities in San Francisco and Seattle.
Related: Dr. Jane Goodall Opens Up About Her 2 Marriages: 'How I Could Do It Twice? I Don't Know'
“I'm celebrating for a whole year,” says Goodall. “All the Jane Goodall Institute [locations] want to do an event. Of course, a lot of that's fundraising: 90th birthday, invite people... There are several countries doing auctions. It's the entire year.”
Goodall has already gotten early birthday wishes from Cher on the British television show Lorraine, as well as Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye.
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In an Instagram post featuring Shaye and Goodall on Wednesday, the GoldenEye actor wrote: "Happy 90th pre-birthday to a genuine trailblazer, legend, and hero of the planet, Dr. Jane Goodall, What a privilege it is to know you, to celebrate you, and to call you [a] friend for nearly 30 years.”
When asked if she's already received birthday greetings from other celebrities, Goodall says they'll be saving it for when they celebrate in person.
"People like Leo DiCaprio are coming to one birthday [event], and Dave Matthews is playing at another," she says. "I can't keep up with all these people in all these places, and I'm not even trying.”
Even as she approaches 90, Goodall's schedule remains busier than ever. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, the tireless advocate — who travels about 300 days a year sharing her passion for chimpanzees and environmental issues — “will continue to spread her message of hope through action” in various parts of the world this year.
"Everybody wants to visit me on my 90th birthday,” Goodall tells PEOPLE. “I've been literally traveling nonstop since January the 12th. I've had five days at home in England, and the rest has been from place to place to place to place.”
Despite her decades-long work, Goodall — who is pushing the Institute's Roots & Shoots initiative to "empower young people to affect positive change in their communities" — admits that she is still surprised that random people recognize her.
"I can't get through an airport,” she says. "I literally can't. I can't get onto a plane without somebody saying, 'You look like Jane Goodall. I can't believe I'm meeting you,' and they cry and they want a selfie or an autograph or something. I say, ‘Well, there's two Janes. There's this one talking to you now, and then there's the icon created by National Geographic, PEOPLE Magazine and Discovery Channel.' I have to try and keep up with the icon.”
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