Personalities
Wangari Maathai: a profile of her environmental and public work
The Kenyan scientist and organiser’s work across education, community conservation and public service.
What this record covers
Selected academic, environmental and public-service milestones through 2011. The 1976 tree-planting idea is distinguished from the organisation’s founding in 1977.
Position at the coverage date
A historical record of Maathai’s public work. She died on 25 September 2011. [s1] [s2] [s3] [s4]
Record details
- Kenyan public life
- Maathai’s public work included university teaching, community organising and parliamentary service in Kenya. [s2] [s4]
- Science and teaching
- Her academic background was in biological sciences and veterinary anatomy, with a doctorate from the University of Nairobi. [s3]
- Community conservation
- The Green Belt Movement’s history describes tree planting as a response to rural women’s concerns about environmental damage and livelihoods. [s1]
- Founding date
- The organisation dates its establishment to 1977. Earlier discussion of a tree-planting idea in 1976 is a separate milestone. [s1] [s2] [s4]
- Parliament and government
- She represented Tetu and served as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources. [s4]
- Writing
- Her books included The Green Belt Movement, Unbowed, The Challenge for Africa and Replenishing the Earth. [s3]
- International cooperation
- Her work extended to the Nobel Women’s Initiative and a UN Messenger of Peace role focused on the environment. [s4]
Sources & evidence
- [s1] www.greenbeltmovement.org
- [s2] www.nobelprize.org
- [s3] www.greenbeltmovement.org
- [s4] www.nelsonmandela.org
Public update history
— Researched against the cited sources. Unresolved gaps are not presented as facts.
— Titles and explanatory text passed the copywriting and source-consistency checks. Sources and data are unchanged.
— Re-researched against the cited sources and checked before updating.
— Titles and explanatory text passed the copywriting and source-consistency checks. Sources and data are unchanged.