Inaugural Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize awarded at international biodiversity talks

The inaugural Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize was awarded to two exceptional leaders who are bringing innovative approaches to advance the conservation of the Amazon rain forest. The co-recipients of this year's prize are Marc Duorojeanni, professor emeritus at Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Peru, and Belén Páez, president and executive director of Ecuador's Fundación Pachamama. They were celebrated during a ceremony at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity—international talks about a global treaty to conserve the diversity of life on Earth, including how to use biodiversity sustainably and who reaps the benefits.

The Lovejoy Prize is a true collaboration that spans renowned Amazon experts, conservation leaders, the Lovejoy family, the Global Environment Facility, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, the Bezos Earth Fund, the Amazon Andes Fund, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, as well as a constellation of private supporters.

The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize was created to honor the legacy of Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, who passed away in 2021. Lovejoy, a renowned expert in biodiversity, was a passionate champion for the conservation of the Amazon rain forest and brought together science, advocacy, and a spirit of collaboration to his chosen cause. The prize honors his dedication to the Amazon by acknowledging the achievements of individuals who embody that same spirit and dedication. The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize is intended to provide a platform for others to learn more about the prize winner's initiatives and achievements, and to help inspire a new generation of Amazon conservationists at a time of urgency related to the need to avoid reaching an ecological tipping point in the region.

"Tom Lovejoy always saw the good in people," said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF-US. "He never yelled. He never demonized. He never exaggerated. He respectfully, consistently, and thoughtfully brought science, wisdom, and clarity to every discussion—which made his voice stand out with heads of state, leaders of financial institutions, and communities alike. He taught us all to look at the whole and kept us all hungry for solutions that keep intact the places that we treasure, most particularly the Amazon. This prize honors his legacy by celebrating the lives and work of conservation leaders who bring the same kind of rigor, science, and solutions to keeping the Amazon intact. Congratulations to Marc and Belén on this award and thank you both for your dedication to conserving the place we all love so deeply."

About the winners 

Marc Duorojeanni
Dourojeanni is an agronomic and forestry engineer whose work and impact spans the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. He is known as the architect of Peru's protected area system and as a mentor to two generations of conservationists in this vast region. Previously, Dourojeanni served as vice-rector of the University San Martín de Porres, founding president of Pronaturaleza, vice-president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, vice-president of the World Commission on Protected Areas, and the first head of the environment division of the Inter-American Development Bank.

“Life is only worthwhile and interesting if it is about fighting for something more than just yourself,” Dourojeanni said in his acceptance speech. “It is only worthwhile if you feel useful and… what better than helping the Amazon?”

Belén Páez
Páez is president and executive director of Ecuador's Fundación Pachamama. She also serves as general secretary for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative. Her focus on climate change and post-extractive industry transitions has reverberated across Ecuador and Peru. Páez has contributed to victories for protecting forests and Indigenous territorial rights in the Ecuadorian Amazon. For six years, the Sacred Headwaters Initiative's proposals related to post-extractive systemic transitions have had a regional echo in the Andean Amazon. At Fundación Pachamama, she has implemented innovative and effective programs to promote the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.

“It is important to live with purpose and commitment. For me, that purpose is the Amazon, and the people who have protected it for generations,” Páez said. “In these forests, there is a wisdom that we must not only listen to but also follow. The Amazonian people are the guardians of sacred knowledge that can guide humanity towards a future in which we can coexist, not only as human individuals but as part of a community of interconnected living beings.”