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Our planet could be under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to encourage people to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion the natural world.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the close bond she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established a decade past,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. The current political climate globally represents a war on science. So this undermines collective action.”

“Realistically, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must begin to reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

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 this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today was highlighted of false information. The theme of next year’s festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that the medal will spur concrete steps. “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 working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”