I'm sure that many people who are involved in an environmental effort ... they will be pretty much encouraged by this recognition.

It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.

For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests so that we can really demonstrate to other African states that it is possible to share power without going to war.

I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance.

We tend to put the environment last because we think the first thing we have to do is eliminate poverty. But you can't reduce poverty in a vacuum. You are doing it in an environment.

We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!

Using trees as a symbol of peace is in keeping with a widespread African tradition. For example, the elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused them to stop fighting and seek reconciliation. Many communities in Africa have these traditions.