Arbor Day Foundation honors Constantino Aucca Chutas with UN Champion of the Earth title
The United Nations' highest environmental award was given to a global changemaker. The Arbor Day Foundation congratulates Constantino Aucca Chutas, a long-time tree-planting partner, on being named a United Nations Champion of the Earth.
The United Nations honors Champions of the Earth laureates in four categories: policy leadership, inspiration and action, entrepreneurial vision, and science and innovation. Aucca, president and co-founder of Acción Andina, was honored for her leadership and vision.
“The Arbor Day Foundation is committed to working with a diverse network of tree planting partners all over the world and that includes seeking out leaders like Constantino to ensure trees are planted in the global forests that need them most,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Constantino is a man of meaningful action, fueled by an unwavering dedication to conservation. The immense impact of his environmental advocacy will be felt for decades to come and we’re proud to call him a partner of the Arbor Day Foundation.”
Aucca has spent 30 years protecting South American forests. His work is centered on combating climate change and biodiversity loss in the Andes Mountains. Acción Andina, which was founded in 2018 in collaboration with the U.S. nonprofit Global Forest Generation, aims to restore nearly 2.5 million acres of high Andean forests in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
Aucca's dedication to reviving Andean ecosystems has enabled indigenous communities to take the lead in restoring their native forests through tree plantings and the establishment of legally protected areas. This community-led approach, combined with a revival of ancestral Incan principles encouraging communal work and reciprocity, has brought thousands of people together under Acción Andina.
To learn more about how the Arbor Day Foundation and its partners are planting trees in global forests of greatest need, click here.
The United Nations honors Champions of the Earth laureates in four categories: policy leadership, inspiration and action, entrepreneurial vision, and science and innovation. Aucca, president and co-founder of Acción Andina, was honored for her leadership and vision.
“The Arbor Day Foundation is committed to working with a diverse network of tree planting partners all over the world and that includes seeking out leaders like Constantino to ensure trees are planted in the global forests that need them most,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Constantino is a man of meaningful action, fueled by an unwavering dedication to conservation. The immense impact of his environmental advocacy will be felt for decades to come and we’re proud to call him a partner of the Arbor Day Foundation.”
Aucca has spent 30 years protecting South American forests. His work is centered on combating climate change and biodiversity loss in the Andes Mountains. Acción Andina, which was founded in 2018 in collaboration with the U.S. nonprofit Global Forest Generation, aims to restore nearly 2.5 million acres of high Andean forests in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
Aucca's dedication to reviving Andean ecosystems has enabled indigenous communities to take the lead in restoring their native forests through tree plantings and the establishment of legally protected areas. This community-led approach, combined with a revival of ancestral Incan principles encouraging communal work and reciprocity, has brought thousands of people together under Acción Andina.
To learn more about how the Arbor Day Foundation and its partners are planting trees in global forests of greatest need, click here.
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