Maathai’s activism is fueled by her background in science and biology, along with her worldly and complicated upbringing. Her scientifically trained mind enables her to find direct and simple solutions for complicated problems. At the same time, her cosmopolitan background gives her a flexibility and willingness to challenge ideas. For instance, she rejects the theory that cow parasites are the main cause of malnutrition in poor rural areas of Kenya. She quickly realizes that the problem goes deeper than that, noting that the cultivation of foreign trees is decimating the landscape. She therefore decides to help rural, poor women to organize and plant local trees, enabling them both to restore their landscape and to earn a livelihood. 

As her Green Belt Movement expands, Maathai refines her training methods to make the movement both more humane and efficient. For example, she hires translators to empower the rural women whom she organizes to speak in their own local languages and better communicate their needs and observations. She brings a similar adaptability and solution-oriented focus to her activism.

Kenyan President Moi and his authoritarian government consider Maathai dangerous, but her brand of resistance is deliberate, peaceful and quiet. It focuses on finding creative and non-violent ways to challenge a divisive and bullying regime.