Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai

A girl grows up among fig trees and clear streams in the Kenyan highlands, then returns from college to find the land stripped bare and her people struggling — so she begins teaching them to plant trees again.

For the kid who asks why grown-ups don't just fix things — this shows what it looks like when one person actually starts.

• Big idea: Real change often starts small — one tree, one person, one act repeated until it spreads.
• Vibes: Grounded, hopeful, quietly powerful, rooted in a real place and a real life.

• are curious about real people who changed the world
• enjoy stories set in faraway places
• are working on understanding cause and effect
• respond well to quiet, true stories over fast-paced ones

• Story & problem-solving: What did Wangari notice had changed when she came home from college?
• Real-life connection: Have you ever planted something and watched it grow?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think Wangari felt seeing the dry gardens and gone trees?
• Imagination: If you wanted to help your neighborhood the way Wangari helped hers, what would you plant or fix first?
• Big ideas: Why do you think planting trees could help feed people too?