José Gutiérrez

Peruvian environmentalist who pioneered Amazon rainforest conservation

José Gutiérrez (1920-1995) was a visionary Peruvian biologist whose work laid the foundation for modern rainforest conservation. Born in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, he witnessed the rapid deforestation caused by rubber exploitation. After earning a PhD in tropical ecology from the University of São Paulo (1947), he dedicated his life to protecting the Amazon.

In 1953, Gutiérrez founded the Amazon Conservation Consortium, the first transnational environmental organization focused on the Amazon basin. His groundbreaking 1960 study Amazonia: The Last Eden (published in Nature) revealed the region's biodiversity value, influencing global conservation policies. By 1970, his efforts led to the creation of Peru's first national parks covering 12 million hectares.

Gutiérrez's most notable achievement was developing the Community-Based Conservation Model (1965), which empowered indigenous communities through sustainable resource management. This approach became the blueprint for UNESCO's Biosphere Reserves program. His 1972 book Guardians of the Green Lungs remains a cornerstone text in environmental studies.

Key milestones include:

• Establishment of the Manú National Park (1973 World Heritage Site)
• Development of the first carbon sequestration measurement system (1968)
• Negotiation of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (1978)

His legacy is celebrated in the 2015 documentary Amazon's Silent Guardian (IMDb), which features interviews with surviving indigenous collaborators. The José Gutiérrez Amazon Institute (www.josegutierrez.org) continues his work through satellite monitoring and community programs.