The Jane Goodall Earth Medal to Celebrate Individuals Working to Improve the World.

Earth is under strain, but there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will encourage the public to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in memory of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for our planet's biodiversity.

Award Details

The first recipients will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October next year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had supported the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the very special connection she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “Frankly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents a war on science. This situation significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good therefore we must really start thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, but also the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, observers believe it was a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with wildlife around us.”

Another key issue today was highlighted of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration remains that the medal will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to engage and to care and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists young people get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding about constructive efforts that people are making.”