Jane Goodall to visit Tampa Bay ahead of her 89th birthday

World-renowned ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall will give two talks in Tampa this month.

What's happening: She'll host a March 28 fundraiser at the Florida Aquarium, and a March 29 talk for students and educators at the Tampa Theatre — just days before her 89th birthday.

Details: The Tampa Theatre talk, titled "Growing a Compassionate and Sustainable Future for All," is sold out, but students can enter a short essay contest to win one of 50 remaining tickets.

• The March 28 fundraiser at the Florida Aquarium starts at 6pm and promises an intimate evening with Goodall, remarks and a question and answer period, plus a vegetarian and vegan dinner and an auction of items from the Jane Goodall Institute archive. Tickets are $1,000 per person, $10,000 per table or $15,000 to sponsor a table.

Context: Goodall is best known for her groundbreaking insights and observations of chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.

• She became an activist in the late 1980s, and now travels the world sharing her hopeful lectures about conservation.

What they're saying: Longtime Goodall friend and volunteer Joe Tatelbaum tells us Goodall wants to leave a lasting legacy in the Tampa Bay area.

• He adds, "We strive to have her visits bring about the beginning of things."