María Teresa Vargas

Bolivian indigenous leader who preserved Amazon rainforest biodiversity through community-led conservation.

María Teresa Vargas, a member of Bolivia's Guarayo people, dedicated her life to protecting the Amazon. In 1996, she founded the Indigenous Territory and National Park Initiative, which established the 3.4 million-acre Bajo Paraguá Protected Area. This region now safeguards 600+ plant species and endangered jaguars.

Vargas pioneered community forest management, training locals in sustainable harvesting of Brazil nuts and açaí berries. Her model increased annual incomes by 40% while reducing deforestation rates by 22%, as reported by World Bank studies.

In 2017, she led a landmark lawsuit against illegal loggers, resulting in a $2.5 million fine and prison sentences for corporate executives. Vargas’s TED Talk, 'Guardian of the Amazon', has inspired global conservation policies. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2020.