"Write letters to me, invite me to plant trees with you," Maathai told cheering Kenyans at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, after arriving from a tour of Europe that began after December 10 when she received the Nobel Peace prize award.

"Let's plant many trees because I now have a pot full of money," the veteran tree planter said.

Maathai, also Kenya's deputy environment minister, returned from Oslo with a a cheque for the 10 million Swedish kronor (1.1 million euro, 1.4 million dollar) prize sum, as well as a Nobel diploma and gold medal.

She was named the 2004 winner of the world's most coveted prize as a result of planting about 30 million trees in Africa in a campaign to promote positive human values.

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