A Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Honor Individuals Striving to Improve the Planet.

Earth could be facing challenges, yet a sense of hope remains. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to encourage people to take action.

The medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate those who champion the natural world.

Award Details

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely due to the close connection she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to be optimistic. Present governance globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation really cripples collective action.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good which means we need to commence reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted it was an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic today is the proliferation of false information. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming contested when politics is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that the medal will inspire action. “It focuses on motivating others to get involved and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on working all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection expressed optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the programs of an institute which, among its other activities, helps the next generation become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother often told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding about constructive efforts that people are making.”