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The world is under strain, however there is hope. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage the public to make a difference.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in honour of the renowned scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

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

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the very special connection she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to maintain optimism. Certain policies globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this undermines global initiatives.”

“In truth, the situation appears very good so we have to commence reflecting, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not just climate change, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, observers believe it was an opportune moment to honor her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform how we regard the other animals around us.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming Starmus 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 very dangerous thing,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor will inspire positive change. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at doing our utmost,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, helps the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that people are making.”