estrella_cardenas

Peruvian environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation decades before it became global issue

Estrella Cardenas (1928-1978) was a Peruvian botanist and environmental activist whose work in the Amazon rainforest predated modern ecological movements by decades. Born in Iquitos, she witnessed the devastation of unregulated logging during her childhood. After studying at the National Agrarian University (1949-1953), she became the first woman to lead the Amazon Research Institute in 1957.

Cardenas' groundbreaking 1961 study "The Silent Heart of Peru" exposed the ecological and cultural impacts of deforestation. Her research led to the creation of the Manú National Park in 1973, protecting 1.5 million hectares of rainforest. She also developed the first intercultural conservation programs with indigenous groups like the Matsés and Yine peoples.

Her 1968 book "The Forest Speaks" (published posthumously) inspired global environmental policies. The Estrella Cardenas Amazon Fund now manages over 200 conservation projects across South America. Her legacy is celebrated annually during the Amazon Conservation Week (July 2-8).