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Our planet might be facing challenges, but a sense of hope remains. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to motivate the public to make a difference.

The medal will honor in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It will recognise those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

According to statements that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the very special connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize ongoing initiatives carried out to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

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

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

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Certain policies in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to really start thinking again, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not only climate change, that’s the whole way that we treat nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, observers believe it was an opportune moment to honor her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change our relationship with wildlife around us.”

A major topic at present involves the spread of misinformation. The central topic of the upcoming Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth has become a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that this honor will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, humans can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, pointing to the programs of an institute that, among its other activities, helps the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother often emphasized, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”