Juan Carlos Arredondo

Colombian environmentalist restoring Amazon rainforest through community-based initiatives

Juan Carlos Arredondo (b. 1982) is a biologist and founder of Rainforest Revival, an organization that has replanted 12 million trees in Colombia's Amazon since 2001. His innovative Seed Guardian program trains indigenous communities to use GPS mapping for reforestation, blending traditional knowledge with modern technology. Arredondo's Amazon Carbon Project has sequestered over 500,000 tons of CO2 through partnerships with 34 local tribes. His 2017 TEDx talk "The Forests Within Us" inspired global conservation efforts. Arredondo pioneered the Biodiversity Credit System, allowing corporations to offset emissions by funding native tree nurseries. His Amazon Youth Corps program has trained 2,500+ young people in ecological restoration, 60% of whom now work in conservation careers. Key publications include Ecologia en Accion (2015) and the 2020 study on agroforestry techniques. Arredondo's collaboration with NASA's Earth Observatory provided critical data for the UN's 2022 Amazon Sustainability Report. His Instagram documents ongoing projects like the 2023 Orinoco River Cleanup Initiative involving 15,000 volunteers.