🔗 Share this article

Our planet is under strain, however a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will inspire people to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in memory of the renowned scientist and conservationist who died this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the close bond she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, one figure said, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to feel hopeful. Present governance globally represents an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must really start reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Following an Example

Therefore, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration remains that the medal can motivate concrete steps. “It’s about encouraging people to participate and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still continue striving toward success.”

A descendant involved in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the programs of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists the next generation become engaged with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother often reminded us, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”