Years ago, when Wangari Maathai looked around her native Kenya, she saw a bleak, rapidly degrading landscape of empty fields. In the face of growing hunger, Maathai managed to make connections that had eluded others, seeing in that same parched earth the potential for nourishment. Armed with three science degrees and a willingness to get her hands dirty, Maathai was determined to restore the land of abundance she remembered from her youth. Years later, the Green Belt movement has blossomed, empowering thousands of ordinary Kenyans to address problems in their communities. Maathai’s merging of environmentalism, feminism, human rights, and development work—and probably her utter lack of fear—led the Nobel Committee to recognize her efforts with the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. But, as she and her fellow activists quickly learned, even the most positive changes to the status quo can encounter resistance from those in power. Living on Earth’s Ingrid Lobet traveled to Kenya to witness Wangari Maathai’s work firsthand, as well as Kenya’s dramatic transformation.

Click here to listen.