Dora María Tineo

Ecuadorian biologist leading Amazon rainforest conservation through indigenous partnerships

Dora María Tineo is an Ecuadorian conservation biologist whose groundbreaking work integrates indigenous knowledge with modern ecology to protect the Amazon rainforest. Since 2020, she has spearheaded the Yasuní Guardians Program, a collaboration between 14 indigenous groups and scientists to monitor biodiversity using drone technology combined with ancestral tracking methods. This approach has increased detection rates of illegal logging activities by 300% in the Yasuní National Park.

Tineo's 2022 publication "Indigenous Ecological Algorithms" introduced a new framework for environmental modeling that incorporates traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Her team's work has led to the creation of the world's first AI system trained on both satellite data and indigenous oral histories, now used by Peru's Ministry of Environment.

Beyond conservation, Tineo established the Amazon Youth Leadership Academy in 2023, providing STEM education to over 300 indigenous teenagers through mobile labs powered by biofuel from forest byproducts. Her Forbes 30 Under 30 profile highlights how she negotiated a historic agreement between oil companies and the Waorani tribe to create carbon offset programs that fund community healthcare.