A Jane Goodall Earth Medal to Honor Those Acting to Better the Planet.

Our planet might be under pressure, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge those who protect life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the medal's establishment. “The idea behind this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think because of the unique relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely have multiple categories.

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

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies globally represents an assault on knowledge. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, the prospects aren't particularly bright so we have to really start reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not only climate change, but also the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, observers believe this is an opportune moment to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of disinformation. The focus of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor can motivate action. “The purpose is encouraging people to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the programs of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, helps young people get involved locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”