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Our planet is under strain, but optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire people to make a difference.

The medal will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that advocate for our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The concept of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. And I think because of the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

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

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure stated, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good therefore we must really start thinking again, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat nature.”

Following an Example

As a result, observers believe this is a good time to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of false information. The central topic of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality has become contested when politics is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor will inspire action. “It focuses on encouraging people to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in conservation work expressed optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists young people get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”