When most hear the name Jane Goodall, the thought that first comes to mind is a woman who has devoted her life to the study of chimpanzees in Africa. Her contributions to our understanding of wildlife can’t be overstated, but it often overshadows her other work in conservation, education, and animal rights activism. National Geographic’s documentary, Jane Goodall: The Hope, highlights her lesser-known dedication to changing the world.

Jane Goodall: The Hope appropriately premiered on Earth Day on National Geographic and Disney+. Goodall, who is now 86 years old, shares six decades worth of stories about how her trip to Gombe in 1960 forever changed the course of her life.

Throughout the documentary, Goodall said that she never intended to become an activist. Her original goal was to study chimpanzees in hopes that it would reveal similarities between chimps and humans. She was sent to Gombe by an anthropology professor she was working under.

During her time in Gombe, Africa, Goodall developed a deep bond with the chimps, which is why she decided she couldn’t sit idly by as deforestation destroyed their habitat. Goodall began traveling around the world to educate and inspire younger generations to fight for animal rights.

Her story would be moving no matter when it premiered, but watching it curled up on my couch during the COVID-19 crisis hit especially close to home.

When I watched the documentary, I’d been in self-isolation for weeks, and was sad that I was missing the opportunity to review Beautiful: A Carole King Musical at Hancher auditorium, which was canceled due to COVID-19.

Goodall’s activism really put things into perspective for me. If this incredible woman could make so many personal sacrifices for the good of animals, I could tough it out in self-isolation for the good of humanity.

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Goodall may have never intended to be an activist, but the documentary highlights the immense sacrifices she made for her cause. She traveled the globe for years with few breaks to speak at conferences, in classrooms, and to convince other scientists to stop using chimps as test subjects.

Jane Goodall: The Hope is an extremely accurate title. With that state of the world right now, it’s easy to slip into feeling hopeless. I’ve certainly had days where I’ve felt that way. Watching Goodall’s efforts pay off have given me a sense of optimism that had been missing from my life since the University of Iowa canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the spring semester.

Aside from its inspiring and uplifting message, the documentary is worth a watch just for National Geographic’s beautiful wildlife footage. National Geographic has had an on-and-off partnership with Goodall since her original journey to Gombe, which resulted in decades worth of clips of Goodall traveling the world.

When people look back on Goodall’s legacy, I hope this documentary   a role in the way she’s regarded by the world. Goodall is so much more than a chimp researcher. She’s a champion of hope.