Rights of Nature: Environmental Lawyer Jessica den Outer on Why Trees, Rivers and Mountains Should Have Legal Rights

Discover how the Rights of Nature movement is transforming our relationship with nature. Environmental lawyer Jessica den Outer explains how this revolutionary approach puts nature’s voice at the heart of decision-making.

In an inspiring interview with BrightVibes founder Michiel de Gooijer, environmental lawyer Jessica den Outer shares her vision for a world where nature has legal rights. Watch the full interview above to discover how this revolutionary movement transforms our relationship with the natural world.

“I don’t see how humans would have more value than a thousand-year-old tree,”

states Jessica.

This powerful perspective epitomizes a revolutionary shift in our relationship with the natural world – one that could fundamentally transform environmental protection and our legal systems.

What Are Rights of Nature? Understanding the Paradigm Shift

The rights of nature represent a fundamental shift in how we view our relationship with the natural world. While it includes legal elements, this movement is about transforming our decisions about nature. Instead of treating nature as property to be used, it recognizes natural entities as living beings deserving of a voice in decisions that affect them.

The movement is rapidly gaining momentum worldwide, not just as a legal framework but as a new way of thinking about our role as part of nature. As Jessica den Outer emphasizes, “This is about a paradigm shift. This is not about legal cases, this is not about lawsuits, this is about us having a seat at the table and speaking out for nature and being its human face.”

 “Rights of nature is the notion that it’s not just people that have human rights to clean water, to food, to life in general, but it’s also saying that the rest of nature has a right to exist, to thrive.” – Jessica den Outer

Jessica, founder of the Dutch NGO Stichting Rechten van de Natuur, explains that this approach isn’t as radical as it might first appear. Our legal systems already grant personhood to corporations – so why not extend similar rights to rivers, forests, and mountains?

Indigenous Wisdom Meets Modern Environmental Law

But how does someone become such a passionate advocate for nature’s rights? For Jessica, it started in a small backyard in Lelystad, Netherlands. “As a young girl, I used to go out in our little back garden, and my grandfather would show me all the different insects that lived there,” she recalls warmly. “I think my love for nature started with the insect world, but I have always felt very connected to the rest of nature.”

“This early connection evolved into a deep conviction about nature’s inherent value. And to me, it’s such a strange thing that that tree can’t have any say in any decisions that are about nature.” It was this realization during her environmental law studies that sparked her mission to change how our legal systems view nature.

The movement draws deep inspiration from indigenous perspectives on humanity’s relationship with nature. Aunty Ivy, founder OUR foundation and a globally trusted spiritual leader who blends Polynesian, Asian, and European heritage, offers a powerful metaphor: “If you look at Mother Earth as one body, Europe is the head of the body… and the structures and systems were lost within that head, which disconnected the rest of the body.”

Jessican Den Outer (l) and Aunty Ivy (r)

This wisdom, carried through generations of indigenous peoples, is now being recognized and incorporated into modern legal frameworks. As den Outer notes, “It makes sense to look at indigenous peoples and see how they live in harmony, respect, and reciprocity with the rest of nature.” Learn all about Aunty Ivy in this exclusive BrightVibes interview.

How Does Nature Get Legal Rights? The Guardian Model Explained

One of the most compelling aspects of rights of nature is its practical implementation through guardianship models. Den Outer draws a powerful parallel to existing legal structures:

 “We assign people with legal capabilities to speak out and to represent children’s interests… And I think this is an idea that we could apply to nature, to rivers, to forests, to mountains.” – Jessica den Outer

 Global Success Stories: A New Relationship with Nature

The movement’s most inspiring success stories demonstrate how this paradigm shift works in practice. In New Zealand, the Whanganui River gained legal personhood in 2017, but the true success lies not in legal proceedings but in how it transformed relationships. As den Outer shares from her research, “When a journalist asked a Maori leader, ‘Why don’t you sue the polluters of the river now that you have legal status?’ the leader replied, ‘This is about a paradigm shift. This is about us having a seat at the table and speaking out for the river and being its human face.'”

This approach represents a fundamental change in how decisions about nature are made – moving from a reactive, litigation-based approach to one where nature’s interests are considered, with dedicated guardians ensuring its voice is heard in all relevant discussions.

Growing Momentum Across Europe and Beyond

In Europe, Spain’s Mar Menor lagoon made history as the first European ecosystem to receive legal personhood. Its unique guardianship structure combines government representatives, local citizens, and scientists. This pioneering model allows anyone to initiate legal proceedings to protect the lagoon’s rights if they witness environmental damage.

The movement continues to spread across Europe, with initiatives emerging in various countries. In the Netherlands, campaigns are underway for natural areas like the Wadden Sea (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the River Meuse. These join a growing global movement that spans from Ecuador’s constitutional rights for Pachamama (Mother Earth) to Bangladesh’s recognition of river rights, and from Colombia’s protection of ecosystems to the legal personhood of forests in New Zealand. Learn more about how four countries have granted nature the same protection as humans.

 A Fresh Perspective on Our Role in Nature

What stands out in conversation with Jessica is not just her legal expertise, but her youth, kindness, and most importantly, her emphasis on paradigm shift over lawsuits. “This fresh perspective really struck me,” reflects Michiel de Gooijer, founder of BrightVibes. “It’s not about taking nature’s cases to court – it’s about fundamentally changing how we see our relationship with the natural world.”

The discussion challenges a common misconception: that nature is something we visit rather than something we’re part of. “Jessica’s message serves as a powerful reminder that we are part of nature, not separate from it,” Michiel notes. “And this means we have a crucial role to play. Just as we have the power to destroy nature, we also have the capacity to guide and restore it.”

While rights of nature might sound abstract at first, its practical implications are profound. “We highly depend on nature, we’re part of it, but we’re not treating it well at all,” Michiel observes. “This needs to change, and that’s why at BrightVibes we’re passionate about featuring people like Jessica who take positive action.”

This ethos aligns perfectly with Jessica’s vision. “Everyone can contribute to the rights of nature,” she emphasizes. This movement consists not just of lawyers and politicians but also of students, local citizens, and women. And I think everyone has a unique talent that they can use to speak out on behalf of nature.”

Take Action Today:

1. Read Jessica den Outer’s book “Rechten van de Natuur” (Rights of Nature), which provides a comprehensive overview of this revolutionary legal movement and its implementation worldwide
2. Support local rights of nature initiatives in your area
3. Start conversations about rights of nature in your community
4. Contact your local representatives about supporting rights of nature legislation
5. Follow and support organizations working on rights of nature campaigns

The time for nature’s rights has come. As den Outer powerfully states, “Rights are based on fundamental norms and values and they have always shifted over time… I believe the time has come now to have a massive uprising but for nature because nature needs it.”