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Our planet could be under strain, yet optimism persists. A novel accolade originating at the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival seeks to encourage individuals to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the renowned scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge those who champion our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think because of the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines collective action.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to commence reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

Following an Example

Therefore, it was noted this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to transform how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A pressing concern at present is the proliferation of false information. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth has become contested when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The goal is that the medal will inspire positive change. “It’s about inspiring individuals to get involved and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, pointing to the work of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists young people become engaged with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”