🔗 Share this article A Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Honor Those Working to Improve the World. The world could be under pressure, yet optimism persists. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to inspire people to take action. A gathering related to the Starmus festival. The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor in honour of the renowned scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who protect the natural world. Award Details The first recipients will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year. It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special connection she had with us.” “This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” said a family member. Format and Inspiration A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably include several divisions. “It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that very medal. Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation represents a war on science. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.” “Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to commence reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only climate change, but also the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.” Inspiring Change Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.” A pressing concern currently was highlighted of disinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”. “We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. This is a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.” Hope and Determination The aspiration is that this honor can motivate concrete steps. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, 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 environmental protection shared optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humans can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, pointing to the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, helps the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and the natural world. “As my late grandmother often reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about the positive actions currently in progress.”