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Earth could be under strain, however there is hope. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to motivate individuals to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the renowned scientist and conservationist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The concept of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close relationship she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

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

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to really start reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only climate change, but also the whole way that we treat our environment.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to change how we regard wildlife with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue at present is the proliferation of misinformation. The central topic of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor will inspire action. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must look at working all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared hope that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, citing the initiatives of an institute which, among its other activities, empowers the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”