Sinchi Warmi iauguration Forest Guardians

The Team Behind the Protection

Locals, scientists, and leaders defending every hectare

Behind every hectare we save stands a network of committed people. Leaders, coordinators, sponsors, and scientists who watch, measure, report, and act.

At the center of our mission is our dedicated core team: Camilo (left), a visionary and community specialist; Marie (center), the guiding force and leader of the V Social Foundation; and Juan (right), our conservation expert who lives near the forest and oversees on-the-ground protection efforts.

They are empowered by Andre, a Foundation member and founder of Ventura TRAVEL, whose leadership ensures that we inspire travel and travel professionals to become champions of conservation. Besides, a team of biologists, ecologists, and community experts joins them who turn protection from idea into impact. From scientific data to animal tracks, their work ensures that every square meter sponsored is monitored, restored, and defended.

On the Ground

Juan, Biochemic and Conservation Specialist

Juan is Ecuadiran and lives closest to the land. He knows every trail, every shortcut, every sound that doesn’t belong. As local coordinator, Juan organizes patrols, trains community members, maps threats, and ensures rapid response to incursions. He is the human interface between sponsored hectares and what happens on the ground. He also connects guests and experts with the project, shares updates, and works directly with the Sinchi Warmis to integrate ecological knowledge and community needs.

On-site Coordinator Juan

“Growing up and living in such a biodiverse country, I’ve seen firsthand both the magnificent richness of raw nature and the increasing threats it faces. Once witnessed the degradation of my country’s extraordinary natural heritage, I needed to act.”

Guiding the Vision

Marie, NGO Manager and Tourism Professional

As Director of V Social Foundation, Marie designs the long-term vision: how to scale protection, how to ensure Indigenous leadership, how to prove and communicate real impact. She’s responsible for partnerships, reporting, funding mechanisms, and ensuring each initiative delivers measurable results.

Based in Berlin, Germany, she attracts and directs global support to generate local impact: preserving culture, protecting nature, and improving livelihoods in underserved communities. Regular field visits and her close connection to both her team and the communities enable her to act in a way that is grounded in reality and responsive to genuine needs. Without Marie, there would be no project.

"Guiding the power of tourism, an industry that is both part of the problem and the solution, toward something truly meaningful for people and planet inspired me to make Forest Guardians my personal mission. Every visit to the forest with the Sinchi Warmi expands my heart and deepens my commitment to transform this forest into a source of positive change."

Mentoring for Real Impact

Camilo, Community Based Tourism Expert

As Project Coordinator for South America at V Social, Camilo connects the foundation’s vision with field reality. With a background of over 10 years defending human rights and supporting Indigenous and rural livelihoods, he helped shape this project from its beginnings. Camilo built trust with the Sinchi Warmi community, identifying the land to protect and ensuring the project’s roots in local leadership. Today, he mentors the team, monitors impact, and safeguards the community-driven approach while linking the initiative with regional and global partners across South America. Camilo ensures that passion on the ground gets the structure and support it needs.

"The idea for Forest Guardians arose from a critical perspective based on my work with communities throughout South America. I witnessed the frustration these communities felt with carbon credits, where large companies would come into their territories, impose rules, use the communities, and divide them through non-transparent budget management. This created a need to rethink how we approach conservation processes, always from the standpoint that true conservation can only be achieved fairly with the involvement of the people who inhabit these lands. After a long and complex journey, we can now say that we have a model project for community-based conservation, one that ensures indigenous communities have access to land and guarantees the protection of a corner of the Amazon."

Enabling Impact

Andre, Entrepreneur and Change-Maker

A bold entrepreneur with a passion for impact, Andre founded Ventura TRAVEL in 2001 to redefine tourism—replacing mass travel with meaningful experiences that connect cultures and improve livelihoods. Having lived for many years in South America, his heart remains deeply tied to its people and nature. Andre’s belief that impact must be transparent, measurable, and lived has shaped Ventura’s commitment to fund and stand behind the Forest Guardians project. His entrepreneurial vision and dedication to tangible results turn conviction into action—making this initiative possible from the very start.

Tracking the Forest

The Science Team

Our forest is not just protected, it’s monitored. A rotating team of biologists, forest engineers, and ecologists complement the ancestral knowledge installed in the community and help deploy tools to measure biodiversity, track endangered species, and evaluate forest health. They guide the installation of camera traps, run transect surveys, collect water and soil data, and produce regular impact reports. This is how we stay transparent, and how sponsors know their land is more than symbolic.

Estefania, Biologist

"I coordinated and developed the first biotic baseline in the forest. That provides the scientific foundation for managing the natural area acquired. It offers precise information on biodiversity and ecosystems, ensuring conservation based on the highest standards. Regular monitoring tracks ecological changes and evaluates the effectiveness of protection measures, promoting a sustainable strategy that strengthens the bond between the community and the Amazon rainforest.”

How to help the team

Sponsoring land helps fund Juan’s patrols and Camilo’s logistics

Donations support science tools: cameras, GPS, satellite subscriptions

Visitors help fund operations through program participation

You can co-fund ecological studies or capacity training

Every hectare protected is also a job created for guardians, not destroyers