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Earth might be under strain, however there is hope. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to inspire the public to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate those who protect life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees will be revealed during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close relationship she shared with us.”

“This medal will recognize ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

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

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, things don’t look very good so we have to really start thinking again, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, but also the entire manner that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with the other animals around us.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on encouraging people to get involved and to care and to work in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, people can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the programs of an institute that, among its other activities, assists the youth become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”