The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall Will Recognise Individuals Striving to Better the World.

Earth could be under pressure, but optimism persists. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise those who advocate for the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October next year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the close connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, one figure stated, “Frankly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good which means we need to begin to reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, observers believe it was a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her priority, to change how we regard the other animals around us.”

A pressing concern at present involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of next year’s festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming contested when politics is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that the medal will spur positive change. “It focuses on motivating others to participate and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be diligent stewards of Earth”, citing the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, helps young people become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will offer support and raise awareness regarding constructive efforts currently in progress.”