Jose Pablo Montes

Guatemalan environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation through community-based eco-tourism

Jose Pablo Montes (1902-1972) was a visionary conservationist who saved Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve through innovative community partnerships. Starting in 1938, he developed the first eco-tourism model in Central America, training local Q'eqchi' Maya guides to lead jungle tours while protecting sacred sites like Tikal. His 1950s 'Forest Guardians' program trained 500+ indigenous rangers, a model later adopted by UNESCO's Man and Biosphere program. Montes' 1960 book 《The Living Forest》 argued that conservation required cultural preservation, influencing modern biocultural approaches. His work is celebrated at the Montes Conservation Center, and his methods are studied by NGOs like Rainforest Alliance.