Wendy Campbell-Purdie facts for kids

Wendy Campbell-Purdie was an amazing woman from New Zealand who helped turn parts of the Sahara Desert green. She was born around 1925 and grew up in New Zealand.

After World War II, when it was easier to travel, Wendy went on a big trip, like many young New Zealanders did. In England, she met Richard St. Barbe Baker, who was an expert on trees. She learned about his idea that planting many trees could stop deserts from growing. This idea was called "green wall agriculture."

Fighting the Desert

Wendy Campbell-Purdie decided to put these ideas into action. She wanted to help stop the desert from spreading.

Creating Oases in Morocco

In 1964, Wendy went to a desert area in Tiznit, Morocco. There, she planted 2,000 trees. These trees helped create a small oasis, which is a green, fertile spot in the desert.

Greening Algeria

After Morocco, Wendy traveled to Algeria in 1962. The Algerian government gave her a large piece of land, about 100 hectares. This land used to be an old military site and received a lot of the town's used water.

Wendy started planting seeds there. She successfully planted 1,000 seeds, and the Algerian government was very impressed. They offered her more help. In the end, Wendy planted a huge number of trees – 130,000! She planted them in and around a town called Bou Saâda. She did this with the support of the Algerian Red Crescent, a group that helps people.

Raising Money for Trees

To get money for her work, Wendy Campbell-Purdie started a group called the Bou Saada Trust. This trust helped raise funds to continue her fight against the spreading Sahara Desert.

Wendy left Algeria in 1970 because she became unwell. She passed away in Athens in 1985 when she was 59 years old. Her work showed how one person can make a big difference in protecting our planet.