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The world might be under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to encourage people to make a difference.

The medal will be given to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who died recently. It will recognise those who protect the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like this to happen. And I think due to the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support to continue that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure stated, “Frankly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to begin to thinking again, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Following an Example

Consequently, observers believe this is a good time to honor her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform how we regard wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern today is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor will spur action. “It focuses on motivating others to get involved and to care and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, assists young people get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often told everyone, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and raise awareness regarding the positive actions currently in progress.”