Google is celebrating Wangari Maathai’s 73rd birthday today with a Google Doodle that depicts her love for nature.
Late Prof. Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist, was born April 1940 and founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 to bolster her environmental conservation efforts.
In 1986, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, and in 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”
Watch the video below to show a tribute to her.
So far the Green Belt movement, which now works in many countries, has planted 51 million trees and lifted tens of thousands of people out of poverty.
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| Prince Charles makes a speech about the late Wangari Maathai at Kew Gardens. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA |
“She was someone I admired and loved. We first met at [Charles’s country estate] Highgrove. We ended up on hugging terms. My heart went out to her. She had an infectious spirit, a sense of optimism and a deep sense of hope. She understood the link between poverty and the natural environment.
“We are faced with so many massive challenges [that] at times it is utterly overwhelming. We have the responsibility to protect the rights of all generations of all species who cannot speak for themselves.
