For more than 20 years, Rosa María Ruiz has been the driving force behind the creation of Madidi National Park, which protects nearly 4.7 million acres (2 million hectares) in northeastern Bolivia. The park was established by the Bolivian government in September 1995. It has the greatest biodiversity of any protected area in the world, and has been the most threatened ecosystem in the tropics.

A bit smaller than the state of New Jersey, the park incorporates rugged glaciated peaks that rise to more than 19,000 feet, forming the headwaters of the Amazon. From these heights, the park descends through Andean grasslands and moist cloud forest to lowland rain forest and seasonally flooding savannahs at about 600 feet above sea level.

Through her organization EcoBolivia, Rosa María is working with indigenous communities to gain legal recognition for their territories inside the park, improve their quality of life, and develop economic alternatives through ecotourism and agro-forestry. Madidi National Park and Rosa María's work are featured in the March 2000 National Geographic magazine article and in a National Geographic television special.
Experience Madidi and Rosa María's work through vivid images, and the sound of Rosa María's voice:

Creating a Park Forest, Animals & People in Harmony    • Related Web Pages

Discovery: Childhood      in the Forest                   Threats!                                      Visit Madidi