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The world could be under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate the public to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the celebrated scientist and conservationist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

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

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the very special relationship she had with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably include several divisions.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to be optimistic. The current political climate globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines global initiatives.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright therefore we must begin to thinking again, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted this is an opportune moment to honor her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform how we regard wildlife with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue at present was highlighted of false information. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that truth has become contested when politics are involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that the medal can motivate positive change. “The purpose is encouraging people to get involved and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant involved in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, people can be diligent stewards of our planet”, citing the programs of an institute which, in addition to its projects, assists the youth become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and raise awareness about constructive efforts currently in progress.”