Jane Goodall spent decades studying chimpanzees in the wild before becoming one of the world’s most recognisable voices for wildlife conservation and environmental protection. Her work changed how scientists understood chimpanzee behaviour and helped demonstrate the importance of protecting animals and their habitats. One of her most widely shared messages is simple: “Every individual matters….

The study began with an unusual marine worm, Olavius algarvensis. The little animal has neither a mouth nor a digestive tract. Long before humans learned how to turn petroleum into bottles and bags and packaging, nature had already invented her own plastic. These natural polymers have been made for hundreds of millions of years hidden…