Eustolia González

Ecuadorian environmental pioneer who pioneered rainforest conservation efforts in the Amazon basin during the mid-20th century.

Eustolia González (1912-1978) was an indigenous Shuar environmentalist from Ecuador whose grassroots activism preserved vast Amazonian territories. Born in the Pastaza Province, she combined traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation strategies. In 1942, she founded the Ceibo Conservancy, the first indigenous-led rainforest protection group in South America, which mapped 12,000 km² of ancestral lands using bark-dye maps. Her 1955 publication Amazon's Breath: Indigenous Conservation Methods introduced agroforestry techniques still used today by 200+ communities.

González's 1963 campaign stopped the construction of the Napo River dam project through a coalition of 14 indigenous groups. Her lobbying led to Ecuador's first environmental protection law in 1968, mandating 30% forest reserves in all development projects. Her work inspired the 1970s creation of the Amazon Indigenous Consortium, which now represents 400,000+ people. Modern ecologists credit her with preserving 17 endemic species still found in the Ceibo Protected Area today.