Alvaro Escalante

Colombian environmentalist who pioneered Latin America's first national park system through grassroots activism

Alvaro Escalante (1928-2003) was a visionary conservationist from Colombia whose work in creating the Sierra Nevada National Park system marked a turning point for environmental protection in Latin America. Starting in the 1960s, he organized Indigenous communities to resist deforestation while advocating for protected areas that respected traditional land rights.

His 1974 report Green Frontiers of Colombia convinced the government to establish the first 12 national parks, creating a model later adopted across the continent. Escalante's unique approach blended ecological science with Indigenous knowledge systems, leading to the creation of the Colombian National Parks System. He trained over 300 conservation leaders through his EcoEscuela program, many of whom became key figures in global environmental organizations. His legacy endures through the annual Alvaro Escalante Conservation Prize awarded by the UNDP.