Nathaly Solano

Peruvian environmental engineer leading grassroots conservation in the Amazon

Nathaly Solano is a visionary environmental engineer transforming conservation efforts in the Peruvian Amazon through her organization Proyecto Forestal. Since 2018, she has pioneered community-led reforestation projects that combine ancestral indigenous knowledge with modern agroecology techniques. Her initiatives have restored over 12,000 hectares of degraded rainforest while creating sustainable livelihoods for 800+ indigenous families.

Solano's innovative 'Eco-Corridors' model connects fragmented forest areas, enabling wildlife migration and carbon sequestration. This approach was recognized by the 2021 Equator Prize from the UN Development Programme. She also developed the first open-source app for monitoring illegal logging activities in real-time, which has been adopted by governments in Colombia and Ecuador.

As a member of the Shipibo-Konibo indigenous group, Solano ensures local communities receive 70% of project revenues through fair trade partnerships with European cosmetics companies. Her TED Talk "The Forests Need Us to Listen" has over 2.3 million views and inspired similar initiatives in the Congo Basin and Borneo. In 2023, she was featured in National Geographic's New Guardians of the Earth documentary series.