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Our planet is under pressure, however a sense of hope remains. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival will motivate the public to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in honour of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who protect the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely due to the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “Frankly, it’s very hard to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, the situation appears very good therefore we must really start reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to follow her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

Another key issue currently involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming contested when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that the medal can motivate action. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to care and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to look at working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving toward success.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation that, among its other activities, empowers the youth become engaged locally, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly emphasized, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and raise awareness about the positive actions currently in progress.”