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Earth is facing challenges, yet optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire the public to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that champion our planet's biodiversity.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the unique bond she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize enduring projects carried out to build an environment 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 indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, one figure said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Present governance globally is conducting an assault on knowledge. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to begin to reconsidering, with greater urgency regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to emulate her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

A pressing concern at present involves the spread of disinformation. The theme of next year’s festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor will spur action. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, assists the next generation get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly reminded us, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and increase understanding about beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”