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Our planet could be facing challenges, however a sense of hope remains. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate individuals to make a difference.

The medal will be given to pay tribute to the celebrated scientist and conservationist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

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

“This 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,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to commence reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, it was noted it was an opportune moment to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to change the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern at present is the proliferation of false information. The focus of next year’s festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a matter of debate when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that this honor can motivate positive change. “It focuses on motivating others to get involved and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the work of an institute that, among its other activities, assists the youth become engaged locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”