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Our planet could be facing challenges, but there is hope. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to inspire individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in memory of the renowned British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely due to the unique bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world improved for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation for the continuation such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, one figure remarked, “To be truthful, it is difficult to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't very good which means we need to really start reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only climate change, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, observers believe it was a good time to emulate her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today was highlighted of false information. The focus of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration remains that this honor will spur positive change. “It focuses on motivating others to engage and to show concern and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing our utmost,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humans are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the work of a foundation which, among its other activities, assists the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will give encouragement and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”