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The world is under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage the public to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the celebrated British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who champion our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea behind this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the unique bond she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, one figure said, “Honestly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. The current political climate globally represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to begin to reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not only climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted it was an opportune moment to follow Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern at present involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that this honor will inspire positive change. “It focuses on motivating others to engage and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must look at working all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humans can be diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the programs of a foundation that, among its other activities, assists the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often emphasized, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about the positive actions that are being undertaken.”