The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Honor Those Acting to Improve the World.

The world could be under strain, yet optimism persists. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage the public to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who protect the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are slated for announcement during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special relationship she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

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

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Frankly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Present governance globally is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright therefore we must begin to reconsidering, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted this is a good time to honor her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her priority, to change the way we treat wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern at present was highlighted of misinformation. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality has become contested when politics is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that this honor will spur action. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to strive in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, people can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, empowers the next generation get involved locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “There is still time and this medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about constructive efforts currently in progress.”