Juanita Moreno

Chilean environmentalist leading reforestation in Patagonia through community partnerships

Juanita Moreno (b. 1975) is a Chilean ecologist who pioneered participatory reforestation in Patagonia's drought-affected regions. Starting in 2001, she developed the Terrapatagonica initiative that combines indigenous Mapuche knowledge with modern agroforestry. Her program has restored 120,000 hectares of degraded land by 2020, creating 800+ rural jobs. Moreno's approach emphasizes community ownership, training local youth in sustainable forestry techniques. Her work was featured in National Geographic and inspired the 2018 documentary 《Greening the End of the World》. She co-authored 《Patagonia's Forests: A Community Blueprint》, a UN-recommended guide for ecosystem restoration. Moreno's TEDx talk 'Healing the Earth with Local Hands' has become a model for global reforestation strategies.