The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Celebrate Individuals Striving to Better the Planet.

Earth might be under pressure, yet there is hope. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to motivate the public to act.

The medal will honor in memory of the celebrated British primatologist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

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

According to statements that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea behind this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the close bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “Honestly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to really start reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of false information. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become contested when politics are involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor can motivate action. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to get involved and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing our utmost,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work expressed confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, pointing to the initiatives of an institute that, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”