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Earth might be facing challenges, however there is hope. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire individuals to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the close bond she had with us.”

“This medal will recognize ongoing initiatives undertaken to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't very good so we have to really start reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Goodall’s example. “I think that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her priority, to change the way we treat wildlife around us.”

Another key issue at present was highlighted of misinformation. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion when politics are involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor will inspire positive change. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, people are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, empowers the next generation get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding the positive actions that people are making.”