NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

October 21, 2011 for Immediate Release

Help Plant an Apple Tree to Honor Dr. Wangari Maathi

Two events take place on Antioch University New England Campus

(Keene, NH) -- The community is invited to help plant apple trees in memory of Dr. Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, 1991 Goldman Environmental Prize winner and 1986 Right Livelihood Award winner, who passed away last month.

The public is invited to the two occasions:

Monday, October 24, noon-12:30 p.m., held on the south lawn of AUNE campus, inside the fence along the bike path.
Thursday, November 3, noon to 1 p.m. The Thursday event will feature a discussion with filmmaker Lisa Merton, who chronicled Dr. Maathai's life in Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai and who has just returned from Dr. Maathai's funeral in Kenya. It will begin inside at a location to be announced, then move outsi

Dr. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an international initiative in women's empowerment, environmental protection and sustainable development that began in Kenya. She later served as assistant minister for environment and natural resources in the government of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki. She was a member of Parliament and director of the Nairobi branch of the Kenya Red Cross Society. She was the first African woman and environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and the first East African woman to earn a PhD.

The tree plantings are cosponsored by AUNE’s Sustainability and Social Justice Committee, the Support Group for Ethnic Racial Diversity and the Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation.

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
Antioch University New England offers highly respected doctoral, master’s and certificate programs in education, environmental studies, management and psychology. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this unique institution serves a thousand students each year. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders of positive change, working toward a more just and sustainable society. Founded in 1964, Antioch University New England is the oldest of Antioch University’s graduate campuses. Learn more at: www.antiochne.edu

About Antioch University
Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

Antioch University is a nonprofit private 501(c) (3) organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information, www.antioch.edu.

Last Updated: 11/2/11