Celebrating Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is an annual declared month (March 1 – March 31) that highlights and celebrates the contributions of women to history, society, and culture. Keep reading to learn more about four trailblazing women associated with various conservation and environmental movements.

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), Kenya

Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and is well known for being the founder of the Green Belt Movement.  After many rural Kenyan women reported that their streams were drying up, resulting in a less secure food supply, she encouraged them to plant trees to stabilize the soil. According to the greenbeltmovement.org, “the movement continues to expand its horizon to include community development work encompassing the arenas of environmental conservation, democracy, community empowerment and conflict resolution, as Wangari envisioned.” Her legacy has strongly continued.

Learn more about her efforts and life story here: Wangari Maathai | The Story

Winona LaDuke (born 1959), White Earth Indian Reservation

Winona founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project in 1989 and served as its executive director for 25 years. She also established Honor the Earth with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers in 1993, which aims to create awareness and support for Native environmental issues. LaDuke is an environmentalist and political activist with Indigenous communities, and focuses on sustainable development, environmental justice, renewable energy, and much more.

Learn more about her efforts here: Winona LaDuke New Green Revolution | Linktree

Mollie H. Beattie (1947-1996), New York 

Mollie was the first woman to become the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Director (1993-1996). According to the FWS, she “fiercely defended the Endangered Species Act, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She passionately advocated ecosystem approaches to conservation and reintroducing gray wolves into the American West.” During her time as the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, she worked to implement over 100 wildlife conservation plans.

Learn more about her efforts and life story here: Mollie H. Beattie | Profile

Photo Courtesy of the U.S. FWS

Margaret Murie (1902-2003), Washington 

Margaret “Mardy” Murie was an American naturalist, conservationist, and author who was pivotal in efforts to establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. This refuge sustains people, wildlife, and fish in the northeastern corner of Alaska. Because of her lifetime of dedication to conservation, she is fondly referred to as the “grandmother of the conservation movement.”

Learn more about her efforts and life story here: Margaret Murie | Profile