Indigenous groups live in and manage more than a quarter of the Amazon basin. Within these communities, women take on many roles — from caretakers and mothers to teachers and healers.

They are often also on the front lines of protecting the nature their communities rely on. Last year, 24 Indigenous women from communities across the Amazon participated in the first cohort of Conservation International’s Amazonia Indigenous Women’s Fellowship Program .

The region-wide program connects women with funding, training, mentorships and networking opportunities to create or expand conservation initiatives in their countries.

With support from the French government and COICA , a collective of Indigenous organizations in the Amazon basin, the fellows led projects rooted in traditional knowledge that conserve nature and preserve their cultures — from harvesting healing plants in Colombia to transforming trash into treasure in Ecuador. Meet three of these Indigenous conservation leaders below.

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