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The world might be under pressure, however a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to encourage individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, one figure stated, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. This situation undermines the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must begin to reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A major topic today involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that this honor can motivate action. “It focuses on encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must look at doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still have to work toward success.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, people are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the programs of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, assists the youth become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”