Carmen Estrada

Colombian environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation through community-led eco-tourism

Carmen Estrada (b. 1975) revolutionized conservation efforts in Colombia's Amazon region through her community-based eco-tourism model. Founder of the Amazon Conservation Consortium, she developed sustainable tourism practices that now support 80 indigenous communities. Her 2003 initiative 'Amazon Pathways' created 150km of ecologically friendly trails, reducing deforestation in protected areas by 40%. Estrada's award-winning 《The Forest's Voice》 (Amazon: ...) documents her work with the Yagua people. In 2010, she co-founded the Rainforest Film Festival, featured in 《National Geographic Traveler》. Her 2018 documentary 《Guardians of the Canopy》 (IMDb: ...) highlights her work with UNESCO World Heritage sites. Estrada's model inspired similar programs in Peru and Brazil, earning her the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2017.