A Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall Will Celebrate Those Working to Better the World.

Our planet is under strain, but optimism persists. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to encourage the public to take action.

The medal will be given in honour of the renowned British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise those who champion our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the unique bond she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “Frankly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Present governance globally represents a war on science. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“To be honest, the situation appears very good which means we need to begin to thinking again, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not only climate change, but also the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, it was noted it was an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A pressing concern currently involves the spread of false information. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become a matter of debate where political interests is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that this honor can motivate concrete steps. “It focuses on encouraging people to participate and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared hope that “with guidance and when empowered, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the work of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, helps young people become engaged with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”