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Earth could be facing challenges, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to make a difference.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

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

According to statements that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely due to the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely encompass various fields.

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

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure said, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Present governance in one major nation is conducting an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must begin to thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the whole way in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to follow Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform how we regard wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of false information. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that truth has become contested where political interests is involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that the medal will inspire positive change. “It’s about encouraging people to get involved and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, people can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the programs of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth become engaged with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother often emphasized, the choices we make each day are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about the positive actions that people are making.”