The Jane Goodall Earth Medal Will Celebrate Individuals Working to Better the World.

Earth is facing challenges, yet there is hope. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate individuals to take action.

The medal will be given in memory of the renowned British primatologist who passed away recently. It will recognise individuals and groups that advocate for the natural world.

Award Details

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

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the close connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives carried out to create a planet a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, one figure stated, “Frankly, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Present governance globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must really start reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests is involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The goal is that the medal can motivate positive change. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to participate and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must look at doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the work of a foundation which, among its other activities, helps young people get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly reminded us, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about constructive efforts that people are making.”