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Our planet could be under strain, yet a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival will inspire people to take action.

The medal will be given in memory of the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients are expected to be announced at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely due to the unique bond she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. This situation really cripples collective action.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't very good which means we need to commence reconsidering, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only climate change, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to change the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently involves the spread of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that truth is becoming a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that this honor will inspire action. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to participate and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, people are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, helps the next generation become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall constantly told everyone, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that people are making.”