Wangari Maathai Memorial in NYC on Nov 14

Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died of cancer on September 25th. There will be a memorial for her in NYC on Monday, November 14th 4:30 to 6:30pm at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.  I hope you will be there with me and hundreds of others!

I was lucky enough to first learn about Maathai and her accomplishments while working at Lantern Books back in the '00s. The company had published her first book and was all abuzz when she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. (You can see a video about Lantern and Wangari Maathai's relationship here.) Since her passing, I'm reminded of what a great source of inspiration her legacy provides. Maathai taught women to plant trees in order to save the environment, build community, and empower women with financial independence (among other things). Talk about a feminist green entrepreneur!

This great poster from Just Seeds has graced the walls of three of my apartments.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

 

Stay connected: Free Gift // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // YouTube