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The world could be under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given to pay tribute to the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

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

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the unique relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and offer support to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

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

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure said, “Frankly, it is difficult to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, the situation appears very good which means we need to really start thinking again, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, observers believe this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change how we regard fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A major topic at present is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth has become a subject of discussion when politics is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that the medal will inspire action. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work toward success.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the programs of a foundation which, among its other activities, assists the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly told everyone, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”