Ernesto Castrillon

Colombian environmentalist leading Amazon preservation through indigenous partnerships

Ernesto Castrillon (b. 1972) is the founder of Amazon Guardians, a coalition protecting the rainforest through collaboration with indigenous communities. His work began in 1995 when he documented illegal logging operations near the Peruvian border. Castrillon developed a satellite monitoring system using open-source tools, which he taught to local tribes to track deforestation in real-time. This initiative reduced illegal logging in the Napo River basin by 60% within five years. His approach emphasizes indigenous knowledge systems, integrating ancestral land management practices with modern technology.

In 2005, Castrillon pioneered the Eco-Credits program, allowing companies to offset emissions by funding indigenous-led conservation projects. This model has generated $45 million in sustainable funding for 34 communities. His 2019 documentary 《The Guardians of the Canopy》 won an Emmy for environmental journalism. Castrillon's work inspired the Colombian government's 2020 Amazon Protection Plan, which expanded protected areas by 12 million hectares. Recent studies attribute a 25% increase in biodiversity in project zones to his community-based strategies.