Young Environmentalist Calls for Wetlands Protection

 Inspired by the famous Hummingbird story often shared by the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Prof. Wangari Maathai, Alice has planted over 20,000 trees since she was six.

She considers Prof. Maathai’s legacy a guiding compass in her mission to protect nature.

As a scout leader and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) ambassador, Alice is leading a campaign dubbed “Grow One Tree on Your Birthday”, urging her peers to plant trees as part of their birthday celebrations. Through this initiative, she hopes to rehabilitate forests and increase tree cover across the country.

With this year’s World Wetlands Day theme, “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”, Alice is calling on national and county governments, conservationists, and local communities to work together in safeguarding these vital ecosystems.

She believes that awareness, sustainable policies, and restoration efforts are crucial in ensuring wetlands continue to provide their invaluable benefits to the planet.

“Human activities such as rapid urbanization pose a risk to wetlands worldwide,” she warns.

Statistics show that wetlands are increasingly under threat due to urbanization, pollution, and climate change.

Alice emphasizes the need for greater investment in ecotourism within wetland areas, which she believes can support conservation efforts while also boosting local economies.

“There is need to invest more in ecotourism in wetland areas in order to promote conservation efforts,” she notes.

As climate change intensifies, young voices like Alice’s are proving instrumental in advocating for a sustainable future.

 Her call to action serves as a reminder that everyone—regardless of age—has a role to play in protecting the environment.