The Forest Fights Back

‘The Rights of Nature movement is one of the few rays of light on the dimming horizons of a planet. Jessica den Outer takes readers on a journey across the globe to chart the achievements of  courageous activists, indigenous leaders and legal innovators’ – Amitav Ghosh

‘Jessica den Outer lends her voice to forests, rivers, and ecosystems that cannot speak for themselves. Read this book and you will be inspired to take action’ – Jane Goodall

As the world grapples with the escalating climate crisis, ecosystems are collapsing, and the planet’s future hangs in the balance. For centuries, our legal systems have treated nature as something to be owned and exploited, but a bold new movement is challenging this paradigm.

In The Forest Fights Back, Jessica den Outer explores a groundbreaking global movement – Rights of Nature – taking on the legal system to recognise the rights of rivers, forests, and mountains to exist, flourish, and sustain their ecological balance. From the fight for the Whanganui River in New Zealand to the battle for Spain’s Mar Menor lagoon, den Outer highlights the campaigns led by grassroots communities, telling stories of determination and legal ingenuity. This movement goes beyond law – it represents a cultural shift that could reshape how we live, think, co-exist and advocate for nature.

Jessica den Outer is an expert in environmental law who advocates globally for the Rights of Nature. Since 2017, she’s been consulted by and has spoken for institutions such as the UN and Harvard. She founded the NGO ‘Stichting Rechten van de Natuur’ and has received numerous awards for her pioneering work.