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Our planet could be under strain, however a sense of hope remains. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate individuals to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October next year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the very special connection she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, one figure remarked, “Honestly, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Present governance in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to really start thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, but also the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

Following an Example

Therefore, observers believe it was a good time to follow Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with wildlife around us.”

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

“We realised that truth is becoming contested where political interests are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor will inspire positive change. “It’s about motivating others to get involved and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if 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 descendant involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of an institute which, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth become engaged with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often reminded us, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about constructive efforts currently in progress.”