Isabel Coelho

Brazilian environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation through indigenous partnerships

Trailblazing Conservation

Isabel Coelho (1928-1998) began her career as a botanist, but shifted focus after witnessing deforestation in the Amazon. In 1963, she established the Amazonia Viva coalition with indigenous leaders. Her 1968 Forest Guardians initiative trained 300 native guides to monitor illegal logging.

Legal Milestones

Coelho's advocacy led to Brazil's first environmental protection laws in 1973, including:

• Indigenous land demarcation
• Logging quotas
• Eco-tourism frameworks

Her memoir Rainforest in My Veins (1985) remains a key text in environmental studies. The Isabel Coelho Reserve in Pará state protects 1.2 million hectares today.