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Our planet is facing challenges, however a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire people to act.

The medal will be given in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died recently. It will recognise individuals and groups that protect life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the close connection she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects undertaken to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Present governance in one major nation represents a war on science. So this really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to begin to reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, observers believe this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with the other animals around us.”

A major topic today is the proliferation of false information. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth has become contested where political interests are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that the medal can motivate action. “It’s about motivating others to get involved and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, people can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the programs of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists the youth get involved locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”