Schneiderman: How do you get people to plant the trees?
Maathai: To convince a farmer to plant a tree is not that difficult. You have to convince a farmer to plant a tree and not cut it down tomorrow. You have to tell the farmer, if you plant this tree and you take care of it, I'm going to give you a financial incentive to do so. Then we try and educate farmers on how to manage their resources. If they lose the soil when the rain comes, that has nothing to do with the government [but] with the fact that they have not been taking care of their land.
施耐德曼：你是如何使人们种起树来的？
马塔伊：要让一名农民种树并不难，难的是让他今天种了树，明天不把它砍掉。你必须告诉他，如果你种了这棵树并把它照顾好，那我就给你一些经济奖励。然后我们会试着教育他们怎么来经营管理他们的资源。如果大雨来临把土壤冲走了，那跟政府没有丝毫关系，而事实上是由于他们没照看好自己的土地。
Schneiderman: What is your next project?
Maathai: I've partnered with the 9)University of Nairobi, [and] we've established a center called the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. We've had requests in many parts of the world from people who want to learn how the Green Belt Movement mobilizes communities, and this institute will make it possible. My main vision is to bring young people from universities and farms to come and learn by doing. In Africa there are so many of us who are educated, but we don't use our education to bring about change. We are given an education that encourages us to sit and wait for people to employ us. We are not sufficiently able to be 10)innovators and use our creativity. We will focus on female leadership, and it is going to focus not only on Africa, but also beyond.
施耐德曼：你的下一步计划是什么？
马塔伊：我和内罗毕大学合作创办了一个中心，叫“旺加里·马塔伊和平与环境研究学院”。我们收到过来自世界各地人们提出的疑问，他们想知道“绿带运动”是如何在各社区运转的，这个学院将能解答他们的疑惑。我的主要想法是让年轻的大学生和农民们到这里来，并通过实践来学习。在非洲，我们有许多受到良好教育的人，但都不会利用所学来改变什么。我们所受的教育鼓励我们守株待兔，等人聘用。结果我们无法成为一名革新者，无法发挥创造力。所以，我们会集中培养女性的领导力，但这并不局限在非洲，还会在世界各地。
Schneiderman: How have things changed since your movement began?
Maathai: I have literally seen a revolution in terms of awareness of how we need to protect our environment. We have seen governments and local communities committing to changing policies to facilitate sustainable management of our resources. Unfortunately, we've also seen high population increases and greater demand for land and food production. Governments are being pushed to take care of the immediate demands and needs of citizens.
施耐德曼：你的运动推行之后，带来了什么变化吗？
马塔伊：我确实察觉到人们保护环境的意识出现了革命性的变化。我们也看到政府和当地社区都致力于修改政策来促进资源的可持续发展。不幸的是，我们也看到人口膨胀，对土地和食物的需求大增，政府被迫要先去解决人民当下的需求问题。
Schneiderman: And in terms of women?
Maathai: Women have been given opportunities to study, even in countries that are 11)oppressive to them. In Kenya, for instance, Muslim communities don't tend to send their girls to school. But even in those communities, we have seen a major 12)upsurge in [women] going to school.
施耐德曼：对妇女而言呢？
马塔伊：妇女得到了学习的机会，即使在妇女受到压迫的国家，情况也一样。以肯尼亚为例，穆斯林族群一般不会送女孩去学校读书。但即便在这些社区，我们也观察到女孩子上学的人数急剧上升了。
Schneiderman: How do you think things will change over the next decade?
Maathai: I expect that in the next 10 years, we'll see a shift from carbon-based economies to alternative-energy-based economies. I really see an opportunity for women to make a big contribution [to that shift]. There has been a transformation among men in accepting that women have come to the table and that they deserve their share of seats.
施耐德曼：你觉得在下一个十年里将会有怎样的变化？
马塔伊：我期望在接下来的十年里，我们能看到一种从碳基能源经济到替代性能源经济的转变。我也真切地感觉到女性能在这一转变中作出巨大贡献。男性在逐渐转变观念，接受女性与他们同台较量，也承认她们应该得到自己的地位。
旺加里·马塔伊（斯瓦希里语：Wangari Muta Maathai，1940年4月1日－2011年9月25日），肯尼亚的社会活动家，2004年诺贝尔和平奖得主，美国匹兹堡大学生物科学硕士。是绿带运动和非洲减债运动联盟的发起人。
她是东、西非的第一个女博士。1977年发起了一个以妇女和环境为主的绿带运动。1990年代，她因为反对开发商强占共有土地，被肯尼亚当局监禁和鞭打。但是她通过不懈的努力，在2002年被选为国会议员。另曾任肯尼亚环境及自然资源部副部长。2011年她因癌病在内罗毕去世，享年71岁。