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Our planet could be under strain, however a sense of hope remains. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to inspire people to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given to pay tribute to the celebrated British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies globally represents an assault on knowledge. This situation undermines the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good so we have to really start reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted it was a good time to follow her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to change how we regard wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently was highlighted of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor can motivate positive change. “It’s about motivating others to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on working all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work expressed hope that “given direction and once enabled, people are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, citing the work of an institute that, among its other activities, assists the youth get involved locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall constantly told everyone, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”