The story of the hummingbird is about this huge forest being consumed by a fire. All the animals in the forest come out as they watch the forest burning, feeling very overwhelmed, powerless, except this little hummingbird.. It says: “I’m going to do something about the fire”.. So it flies to the nearest stream, takes a drop of water and puts it on the fire.. and goes up and down, up and down, up and down.. as fast as it can..

In the meantime all the other animals, much bigger animals, like the elephant –which with its big trunk could bring much more water-, are standing there, helpless, and saying to the hummingbird: “What do you think you can do? You’re too little! This fire is too big! Your wings are too little, and you have a beak so small.. you can only bring a small drop of water at a time”. But as they continue to discourage it, it turns to them without wasting any time and tells them: “I’m doing the best I can”..

And that to me is what all of us should do. We should always be like the hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I certainly don’t want to be like the animals watching as the planet goes down the drain. I will be a hummingbird. I will do the best I can..

Wangari Maathai
04/01/1940 - 09/25/2011