🔗 Share this article The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall Will Celebrate Individuals Working to Better the Planet. The world might be under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will inspire individuals to act. A gathering related to the Starmus festival. The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in memory of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who advocate for the natural world. Award Details Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year. It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the very special bond she had with us.” “This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation that work,” commented a relative. Format and Inspiration One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely encompass various fields. “It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that very medal. Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice remarked, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Present governance globally represents a war on science. So this significantly hampers collective action.” “To be honest, the situation appears very good so we have to begin to thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat the natural world.” Following an Example Therefore, observers believe this is a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with the other animals around us.” A major topic currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”. “We realised that truth has become contested when politics are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.” Hope and Determination The goal is that the medal can motivate positive change. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to get involved and to care and to work in that direction, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must focus on working the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.” A descendant engaged in environmental protection expressed hope that “given direction and when empowered, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the work of an institute which, among its other activities, empowers the youth become engaged with their community, wildlife, and the natural world. “As my late grandmother often emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”