Guardians of the Amazon

Guardians of the Amazon is a year-long educational program created by Light for the Amazon that blends ecological education with Indigenous knowledge systems.

Through a series of hands-on learning modules, students explore Amazonian ecology, biodiversity, sustainable forest practices, and the deep cultural relationships that sustain the rainforest. A central focus of the program is the preservation and transmission of Indigenous medicinal plant knowledge, developed in close collaboration with local healers and plant-medicine experts.

The program is delivered through four core modules:

Fauna of the Amazon – Developed in partnership with the Equipo Primatológico del Perú (EPP), whose volunteers introduced students to the rainforest’s extraordinary wildlife and ecosystems.

Flora of the Amazon – Led in collaboration with students from the National University of the Peruvian Amazon, focusing on native plants and their ecological importance.

Sustainable Agroforestry – Taught by agroforestry engineers, highlighting regenerative land-use practices that support both people and forests.

Medicinal Plants of the Amazon – Guided by local Indigenous experts, sharing ancestral knowledge of healing plants and their ethical use.

By uniting academic learning with ancestral wisdom, Guardians of the Amazon fosters cultural continuity, environmental stewardship, and sustainable futures for Amazonian communities.