Dr. Wangari Maathai

An ecologist, environmentalist, politician, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Wangari Maathai is no ordinary woman. She single-handedly saved Kenya's Uhuru Park by stopping construction planned within its boundaries. Growing up in Kenya, Dr. Maathai worked very hard as a student to gain acceptance to go to school to study biology in the United States. From there, she went on to study in Germany and then back home to Kenya for her Ph.D. in veterinary medicine. Throughout her career, Dr. Maathai has worked to save the environment by starting the Green Belt Movement which has now planted over 30 million trees in Kenya to stop soil erosion and provide firewood. She even came to be called "The Tree Mother of Africa"! In 2004 Dr. Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing behind her beliefs and specifically helping encourage the women of Kenya to stand up for their rights. Overall, Dr. Maathai has done much to increase awareness of environmental issues in Kenya and around the world.