The Jane Goodall Earth Medal to Honor Individuals Acting to Improve the Planet.

Our planet might be under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate the public to act.

The medal will be given in honour of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that advocate for the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

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

It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The concept of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely because of the close bond she had with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, one figure stated, “Frankly, it is difficult to maintain optimism. The current political climate in one major nation represents an assault on knowledge. So this really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to commence reflecting, with greater urgency regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not only climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is an opportune moment to follow Goodall’s example. “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 transform our relationship with wildlife with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will spur concrete steps. “It’s about motivating others to participate and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared hope that “with guidance and when empowered, people can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, citing the work of an institute that, in addition to its projects, helps the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly told everyone, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”