The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall Will Recognise Those Striving to Better the Planet.

The world might be under strain, but there is hope. A novel accolade from the science, music and arts festival Starmus will encourage people to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in memory of the celebrated British primatologist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely because of the unique relationship she had with us.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice remarked, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good so we have to begin to thinking again, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only climate change, that’s the entire manner that we treat nature.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, observers believe it was a good time to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to transform how we regard wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A major topic at present involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. This is a perilous development,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that the medal can motivate concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to get involved and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must look at doing the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared hope that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, assists the youth become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding constructive efforts currently in progress.”