News

The Green Belt Movement International-Europe in partnership with The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is hosting a very special celebration of the life and legacy of Professor Wangari Maathai.

On the 27th March, 2013 His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales will plant a tree in memory of Professor Wangari Maathai at Kew Gardens in London, UK.

The Prince of Wales is a strong advocate of forest conservation and was a close friend of Professor Maathai, working together at UN climate change meetings and a Nobel symposium on climate change on how to save the world’s forests.

The day will bring together the friends and family of Professor Maathai along with Green Belt Movement supporters, and international members of GBM Board and staff.

We will be celebrating the life of our founder, an incredible and unique woman who brought such energy and love to her life-long contribution to environmental conservation, peace and sustainable development. This event will showcase her legacy which lives on through the work of the Green Belt Movement.

Tributes will be given by HRH Prince Charles, Nobel Peace Laureate Dr Shirin Ebadi who founded the Nobel Women’s Initiative along with the other women Laureates, and Wanjira Mathai. There will be an enactment of Professor Maathai's favourite story 'the Hummingbird' by pupils of Stoneygate College, and Kikuyu and Swahili songs from the Revival House Choir.

The Inaugural Wangari Maathai lecture that evening will be introduced by Theo Sowa and delivered by Mary Robinson, first woman President of Ireland, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and lifelong advocate for climate justice.

Please note: the morning event is invitation-only.

These events would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners, funders and volunteers. The Green Belt Movement International – Europe would like to thank The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for their very generous hosting of this day of events.

The Green Belt Movement International – Europe would like to thank our event sponsors Mainichi Newspapers and DLA Piper. We would also like to thank The Ashden Trust, The Tudor Trust and Jacques Rocher for their generous donations which made this event possible. Finally, we would like to thank John McAslan+Partners for their help with print materials.