A Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall Will Honor Those Acting to Better the Planet.

Earth is under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to motivate individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the celebrated British primatologist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate those who protect life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. And I think because of the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

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

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good therefore we must begin to thinking again, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

Therefore, observers believe this is an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with wildlife with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of false information. The focus of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that the medal can motivate positive change. “It’s about inspiring individuals to engage and to show concern and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, highlighting the initiatives of an institute that, in addition to its projects, empowers young people become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall often reminded us, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”