The Jane Goodall Earth Medal Will Honor Those Striving to Improve the Planet.

Earth could be under strain, but there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate individuals to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. And I think because of the very special connection she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize ongoing initiatives undertaken to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure stated, “Honestly, it is difficult to be optimistic. Present governance globally represents an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, things don’t look very good so we have to begin to reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat nature.”

Following an Example

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to change the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently is the proliferation of false information. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that this honor will spur action. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, people are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, citing the initiatives of an institute which, in addition to its projects, assists the youth get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that people are making.”