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The world might be under pressure, but there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire people to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in memory of the renowned British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

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

It was shared that Jane Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think because of the unique connection she had with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to carry on such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Honestly, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to really start reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, but also the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

Consequently, observers believe this is an opportune moment to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth is becoming contested when politics are involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that the medal will spur positive change. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must look at doing the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work expressed confidence that “given direction and once enabled, people can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the work of a foundation that, among its other activities, helps young people become engaged with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and raise awareness regarding constructive efforts that people are making.”