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The world might be facing challenges, but a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to inspire the public to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given in memory of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It will recognise those who champion life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients 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, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special connection she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes undertaken to create a planet a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation represents a war on science. So this undermines collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright which means we need to commence reflecting, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, but also the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, observers believe it was an opportune moment to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to change our relationship with wildlife around us.”

Another key issue currently involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality has become a matter of debate when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will spur action. “The purpose is motivating others to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must look at doing the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, assists the youth become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will offer support and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”