A Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Honor Those Acting to Better the Planet.

The world might be under pressure, however a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate the public to make a difference.

Image from a Starmus event.
A gathering related to the Starmus festival.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that champion our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close bond she had with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes undertaken to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “Frankly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation represents an assault on knowledge. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“In truth, things don’t look very good therefore we must begin to reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to follow her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her priority, to change our relationship with fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue at present is the proliferation of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor will spur concrete steps. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, people are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, highlighting the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, empowers young people become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”
Kevin Schmidt
Kevin Schmidt

Lotte is een milieujournalist en zero waste expert uit Groningen, met een passie voor duurzaamheid en lokale initiatieven.