Joan Root was a Kenyan-born conservationist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker. She and her husband, Alan Root, helped pioneer the wildlife documentary genre. Their escapades involved plane rides, dangerous camping trips, and rides in hot air balloons. She was kind, quiet, and gracious. She loved animals and the African landscape; she cared for literally every creature that crossed her path. She had been a devoted and happily married woman for many years when she was blindsided by the sudden appearance of her husband's mistress. Joan, of course, was devastated. Yet she reacted with great grace and restraint: She walked away and started over.
After the disintegration of her marriage, she was no longer involved in the filming and production of wildlife films. She led a quiet and lonely existence on the banks of Lake Naivasha, a beautiful and ecologically diverse lake in Kenya. Then things began to change: She watched as sprawling flower farms sprung up around the lake, inevitably followed by slums to house the workers. Pollution, crime, poverty, wildlife poaching, and disruption of the lake ecosystem followed. So Joan Root dedicated her life to making it right. Not only did she try to combat the ecological damage, she also did her best to help the Kenyans who were living and working around the lake. She spent an ungodly amount of time and money trying to save the flora, fauna, and people of Lake Naivasha. Meanwhile, a crime wave was sweeping across the region in which white Kenyans were systematically targeted, robbed, and killed. Everyone who knew Joan attested that she was incredibly courageous and determined despite the violence that surrounded her.
She took not only the corporate flower farm machine head-on, but also local poachers. As a result she drew a lot of negative attention to herself. This spotlight, combined with the everyday violence that had become commonplace in the Lake Naivasha area, made for some very frightening years in Joan's life. She was repeatedly threatened, robbed, and assaulted. Yet she refused to leave her home or give up the fight over the lake. In 2006, less than a week before her 70th birthday, four men with AK47's murdered Joan Root in her home. The authorities determined that she was the victim of a violent robbery. If you're wondering why it would take four men with automatic weapons to rob an elderly woman, you're not alone. The whole thing stinks of a contract killing, and the Kenyan authorities haven't shown the smallest initiative in finding who's behind it. It makes my stomach churn.
I think that she is one of the most brave and inspiring women of the past century.
If you're curious about Joan Root but not up to tackling a book on the subject, I highly recommend you check out Mark Seal's article, "A Flowering Evil."
