Rae Natalie Prosser de Goodall

Rae Natalie Prosser de Goodall (née Rae Natalie Prosser) April 13, 1935, near Lexington, Ohio, United States – May 25, 2015, Estancia Harberton, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina, ) also known as Natalie Goodall, was a botanist, cetologist, illustrator, natural historian and local historian based in Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina and known for studying the region's flora and fauna.

Education Rae Natalie Prosser de Goodall was born Rae Natalie Prosser on a farm near Lexington, Ohio. She graduated from Lexington High School in 1953. She was awarded an art scholarship to Kent State University, where she became a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Prosser graduated with bachelor's degrees in education, biology, and art, as well as a master's degree in biology. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Kent State University in 1997.

A self-described "beachcomber", Goodall also started collecting dolphin and whale specimens during this time, especially skulls, from local cetacean strandings. ) at her home in Harberton. Many of her specimens are also housed at numerous international herbaria and natural history institutions, and collaborated with other national and international organizations devoted to nature research, including AMMA (Association of Southern Marine Mammals), the Orca del Fin del Mundo project and CEQUA (Center for Quaternary Studies). She founded and chaired the RNP Foundation (Rae Natalie Prosser Foundation) for biological research in Southern South America, which endows internships and scholarships for students and professionals in the natural sciences.

Notable works In 1970, Goodall published a bilingual English-Spanish book, Tierra del Fuego, containing studies of the local flora and fauna, as well as historical information about the settlement of the area. She both wrote and illustrated the book, and published several editions of it at the publishing company she founded, Ediciones Shanamaiim.

Publications Throughout her life, Goodall published over 200 scientific publications, including peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and scientific conference abstracts. "On the identity of Tursio Chiloensis Philippi 1900", in Marine Mammal Science. "Serrated Flippers and Directional Asymmetry in the Appendicular Skeleton of the Commerson's Dolphin", in The Anatomical Record.

Personal life and family She worked as a teacher for Mobil in Venezuela after graduating, during which time she traveled extensively in Venezuela, Colombia, and the Caribbean islands, studying the local plants and wildlife. On a trip to western South America with a fellow teacher, Prosser visited the Tierra del Fuego area, having been inspired by Lucas Bridges' book Uttermost Part of the Earth.

Awards Albatross Prize, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, 1983. International guest member, The Society of Woman Geographers, 1984. Lighthouse of the End of the World, a prize awarded by the government of Tierra del Fuego, 1994. International guest member, Explorers Club of New York, 1995. Gold Medal, The Society of Woman Geographers, 1996. (Awarded for her studies of the plants and wildlife native to Tierra del Fuego) Member of the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, 1996. Recipient of Doctorate Honoris Causa in Sciences, Kent State University, 1997. Special Achievement Award, Kent State University Alumnae, 1997. Pink Carnation Award, highest award of Gamma Phi Beta, 1998.