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Earth is under pressure, yet there is hope. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival Starmus will motivate people to act.

The medal will honor in honour of the celebrated British primatologist who passed away recently. It will recognise individuals and groups that protect our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees are expected to be announced at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

According to statements that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the close bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives carried out to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably have multiple categories.

“It will be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines global initiatives.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't very good therefore we must really start reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, that’s the entire manner that we treat nature.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted it was a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests is involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor can motivate positive change. “It focuses on motivating others to engage and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, assists young people become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly reminded us, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”