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Earth is under strain, but optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to inspire people to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in honour of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She said that she wanted this to happen. And I think because of the very special connection she shared with us.”

“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 foster motivation to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears very good so we have to commence thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, it was noted this is an opportune moment to honor her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A major topic at present involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that the medal will inspire positive change. “It’s about inspiring individuals to get involved and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the programs of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, helps the next generation get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about the positive actions that people are making.”