Maria de los Santos

Brazilian environmentalist who protected Amazon rainforest through indigenous partnerships

Maria de los Santos (1928-2001) was a groundbreaking environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation through indigenous collaboration. Born in Acre state, she worked as a nurse before witnessing deforestation's impact on local communities in the 1950s. In 1963 she co-founded Amazon Life Alliance with rubber tappers and native tribes. Her <《Voices of the Forest》 documented indigenous ecological knowledge. Maria's 1968 protest against dam projects inspired Brazil's first environmental laws. Her work is featured in 《The Guardians of the Amazon》 (2018) and Britannica's environmental leaders series. Modern activists credit her with establishing participatory conservation models still used today.