Wangari Maathai lives on in our hearts.

The trees, soils, rivers, and all living beings will miss the living voice of scientist, feminist, Green Belt Movement founder, professor, activist, mother and grandmother Wangari Maathai who died this week.  She gave Kenyans, women, Africans and all humans a reason to stand as tall as the trees she defended and planted.  There are 30 million living tributes acknowledging her gift to us as well as millions of humans whose lives were enriched by her actions and words.  We were honored to meet her in person and especially graced by the powerful, eloquent and brilliant wisdom she shared with us and audiences in DIRT! The Movie.

In accepting the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2004 she said in part:  “In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness…to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”  Her approach to reaching that goal can be seen here in her telling of the story of the hummingbird.

Like the wings of the hummingbird Wangari Maathai’s heart still beats in our efforts to bring about the just and sustainable world she envisioned.