Marlene Mamani, Peruvian biologist, recognized as “National Geographic Explorer” for her restoration work alongside high-Andean communities
Media contacts:
Isabella Orgel
Global Forest Generation
isabella@globalforestgen.org
globalforestgeneration.org
Jean Pierre Salguero
Acción Andina
jean.pierre@accion-andina.org
accion-andina.org
- Her trajectory in the recovery of degraded ecosystems in Cusco and the strengthening of community capacities to face wildfires receives one of the most important international recognitions in science and conservation.
Lima, Peru – July 21, 2026: Marlene Mamani Solorzano, Peruvian biologist and Andean Restoration and Community Relations Specialist at Conservación Amazónica — ACCA, has been recognized as a National Geographic Explorer, a distinction that highlights individuals who develop innovative research and solutions to understand and conserve our planet.
This recognition will strengthen the work Marlene has been leading alongside high-Andean communities in Cusco, where she works on the restoration of degraded ecosystems, the recovery of wetlands and grasslands, and the strengthening of local leadership to respond to threats such as wildfires and the effects of climate change.
Along with Marlene’s recognition, the National Geographic Society has awarded funding to support her work, strengthening her leadership alongside high-Andean communities.
As part of this new push, the capacities of 9 community fire prevention and control brigades across 7 communities will be strengthened: Japu Nación Q’ero, Idmanosa, Jajahuana, Ttoccohuaylla, Lucuybamba, Ccochaccochayoc, and Bombón, in addition to supporting the restoration of 6 hectares of high-Andean wetlands and grasslands in the Japu campesino community — ecosystems essential for water regulation, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of local populations.
A career built alongside communities
Through her work, Marlene Mamani has accompanied conservation and restoration processes in the field, promoting a close relationship between science, local knowledge, and community participation — work that has led her to receive national and international recognition.
“True conservation is done hand in hand with communities. They know their territories, face environmental challenges directly, and play a fundamental role in finding solutions to restore and protect these ecosystems. This recognition also belongs to all the people who work every day for conservation from within their territories,” said Marlene Mamani, Andean Restoration and Community Relations Specialist at Conservación Amazónica — ACCA.
Restoring the Andes to secure water and biodiversity
High-Andean ecosystems such as wetlands and grasslands serve essential functions for environmental balance: they store and regulate water, harbor important biodiversity, and contribute to climate change adaptation. However, they currently face pressures from soil degradation, wildfires, and climate variability.
In response to these challenges, Conservación Amazónica — ACCA, together with allied organizations, advances a model of collaborative conservation in which communities actively participate in the recovery and protection of their territories, strengthening their knowledge, organization, and response capacities.
“For those of us who work with Marlene at Conservación Amazónica — ACCA, this recognition of her leadership fills us with pride, as it reflects the impact of the work we have been building together with local populations and our allies. Conservation is a collective effort that integrates scientific knowledge, local wisdom, and the commitment of people like her, who drive lasting change for ecosystems and communities from within the territory,” said Ronald Catpo, Director of Conservation Areas at Conservación Amazónica — ACCA.
A recognition of Peruvian leadership in conservation
The National Geographic Explorer recognition highlights the importance of supporting local leadership that generates responses to current environmental challenges. Through this support, Marlene will continue to promote ecological restoration and community strengthening actions in the Peruvian Andes. Mamani is the second National Geographic Explorer at ACCA; Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, an Indigenous Quechua scientist, was previously named an Explorer for her work on Andean bear conservation.
This work carried out by Conservación Amazónica — ACCA alongside campesino communities in Cusco is part of Acción Andina, one of the largest community-led forest restoration initiatives in South America. Co-founded by Global Forest Generation (GFG) and Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), Acción Andina works across five Andean countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru) with a 100-year vision to restore and protect one million hectares of high Andean forests and promote the protection and restoration of the ecosystems of the Andean Amazon.
About Conservación Amazónica — ACCA
Conservación Amazónica — ACCA is a Peruvian nonprofit organization that has worked since 1999 to conserve and strengthen the ecosystems of the Andean Amazon of Peru through science, technology, and community partnership. ACCA operates across a range of ecosystems, from the high Andes to the Amazon basin, supporting the creation and strengthening of protected natural areas, training the next generation of conservationists, and developing applied research programs at three biological stations. ACCA is a key partner of Acción Andina and a member of the Alliance for the Conservation of the Amazon, a network working to promote conservation and sustainable development across 50 million hectares shared between Peru and Bolivia. Learn more at acca.org.pe.
About Acción Andina
Acción Andina is one of the largest Indigenous and community-led forest restoration movements in South America, working across five Andean countries to restore and protect one million hectares of high Andean forests. Co-founded by Global Forest Generation and ECOAN, the initiative has been recognized as a UN World Restoration Flagship and a 2023 Earthshot Prize winner. Learn more at accion-andina.org.
About Global Forest Generation
Global Forest Generation (GFG) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to sustaining critical yet neglected forest ecosystems worldwide. GFG amplifies and scales local ecosystem restoration efforts by mentoring emerging conservation leaders, uniting grassroots partners across ecosystems, and providing otherwise inaccessible resources, tools, and technologies. GFG’s flagship initiative, Acción Andina, is the largest Indigenous and community-led forest restoration movement in South America, with 12.5 million trees planted, 26 projects across five countries, and a goal of restoring one million hectares of high Andean forests by 2045. Acción Andina has been recognized as a UN World Restoration Flagship and a 2023 Earthshot Prize winner. Learn more at globalforestgeneration.org.
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