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

The world could be facing challenges, but there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to motivate individuals to make a difference.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded to pay tribute to the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate those who protect our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the unique connection she had with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice remarked, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines 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. This concern encompasses not just global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat fellow creatures around us.”

Another key issue at present involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “It’s about inspiring individuals to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of our planet”, citing the initiatives of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and increase understanding about constructive efforts that people are making.”