Elizabeth Wathuti

Elizabeth Wathuti is a Kenyan environment and climate activist and founder of the Green Generation Initiative, which nurtures young people to love nature and be environmentally conscious at a young age and has now planted 30,000 tree seedlings in Kenya. Green Generation Initiative was founded in 2016. She founded Green Generation Initiative, with a focus of nurturing more young environmental enthusiasts, practical environmental and climate education, building climate resilience and greening schools. Her video “The Forest is a Part of Me” was featured by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) as part of a series on Youth Voices in Landscapes. Wathuti grew up in Nyeri County, which is renowned for having the highest forest cover in Kenya. She planted her first tree at the age of seven and went on to establish an environmental club in her high school with the help of her geography teacher, who offered to be the club’s patron. She was part of the leadership of Kenyatta University Environmental Club (KUNEC) where she was able to conduct numerous activities; such as tree planting, clean ups and environmental education; all while increasing awareness of global environmental challenges like climate change.  In 2019, she was awarded the Africa Green Person of the Year Award by the Eleven Eleven Twelve Foundation and named as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the Africa Youth Awards. She also received the Wangari Maathai Scholarship Award for my outstanding passion and personal commitment to environmental conservation. She is a full member of the Greenbelt Movement and a Global Youth in Landscape Leadership.