How do we cope with the passing of a legend? The world feels empty with the void left by Jane Goodall. Jane tried so hard for so many years to spread her message of hope and compassion.

I was fortunate to meet Jane in 2019 when she was speaking in San Francisco. My father, a conservationist who works to protect rhinos from poaching, was given a short meeting with Jane, and he invited my sister and me to join.  As we chatted, it became apparent that while she was clearly a humanitarian and an environmentalist, Jane’s love of animals was her driving force. It was this passion that enabled her to sustain her exhausting schedule, packed with travel and public speaking at her advanced age.

Everyone loved Jane Goodall. Her determination and gentle personality resonated deeply with so many of us. Jane wisely believed that the best way to reach people was in a kind, nonjudgmental way, but beneath the pragmatism, there was a woman with strong convictions and even some controversial opinions. I wonder if we are brave enough to consider some of the things that Jane really wanted.

In her book “Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe,” Jane wrote, “The more we learn of the true nature of nonhuman animals, especially those with complex brains and corresponding complex social behavior, the more ethical concerns are raised regarding their use in the service of man—whether this be in entertainment, as ‘pets,’ for food, in research laboratories, or any of the other uses to which we subject them.”

Jane was a longtime vegetarian who in her later years became vegan. She advocated for plant-based eating and meat reduction. In a 2017 article, Jane wrote, “I stopped eating meat some 50 years ago when I looked at the pork chop on my plate and thought: This represents fear, pain, death. That did it, and I went plant-based instantly.”

In her article, Jane reminds us that meat consumption is responsible for animal suffering and environmental degradation. She also promotes plant-based eating as beneficial to human health, stating that she “immediately felt better, lighter” when she stopped eating meat. These are inspiring words from such a long-lived, energetic woman who maintained her grueling schedule to the very end.

I met with Jane for less than 30 minutes, but it was a life-changing experience. I have been active in the animal rights movement for almost 15 years. Asking people to reduce their meat consumption or stop eating meat is not always a popular opinion, but as Jane famously said, “The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Jane encouraged us to maintain hope. She often said, “If we lose hope, then we become apathetic. We do nothing.” Hope often seems elusive these days, but if we can’t find hope, perhaps we can create it with meaningful positive action. It is my hope that we will honor this remarkable woman by taking her words to heart and shifting our diets in a plant-based direction.

Lisa Wade is president of Plant Based Advocates, a Los Gatos-based nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the environmental, health and animal welfare advantages of adopting a plant-based diet.