Juanita Tumiri

Peruvian environmental leader safeguarding Amazonian biodiversity

Juanita Tumiri is an Asháninka indigenous leader and biologist who co-founded Rainforest Guardians in 2020. This initiative trains 300+ indigenous rangers annually to combat illegal logging in Peru's Amazon, an area losing 150,000 hectares yearly. Their drone surveillance system, developed with MIT's D-Lab, has led to 47 successful prosecutions since 2022 and inspired similar programs in Bolivia and Colombia.

Tumiri's work bridges traditional ecological knowledge with modern technology - her team's 2023 Nature publication details how indigenous practices increase forest carbon sequestration by 22%. Recognized as National Geographic's 2024 Emerging Explorer, she's currently lobbying for UN recognition of indigenous land rights as critical climate solutions. Her recent book 《Amazonas Vivo》 documents traditional conservation wisdom.