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Our planet could be under pressure, however a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to inspire people to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in memory of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died this year. It will recognise those who champion our planet's biodiversity.

Award Details

Initial honorees will be revealed during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like this to happen. And I think due to the close bond she shared with us.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – would probably have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“In truth, things don’t look very good so we have to begin to reflecting, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, observers believe it was a good time to honor Goodall’s example. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to change how we regard wildlife around us.”

Another key issue at present is the proliferation of disinformation. The focus of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that the medal will inspire positive change. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the programs of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists young people get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly told everyone, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about the positive actions that people are making.”