Celebrating World Environment Day.
Stand with Amazonian Earth Defenders
Leila Salazar-López / Amazon Watch

Leila Salazar-Lo[ez / Amazon Watch

(June 5, 2026) – Today, on World Environment Day, we celebrate the Indigenous peoples on the front lines of the fight to protect the Amazon, and with it, our planet.
For millennia, Indigenous peoples have cared for the Amazon, defending its forests, rivers, and biodiversity against the relentless threats of oil drilling, mining, deforestation, and climate change. Their leadership continues to safeguard one of Earth’s most important ecosystems and carbon sinks, helping to protect a habitable future for us all. As Amazon Watch marks 30 years of solidarity with Indigenous peoples, we’re sharing stories that reflect the heart of our work: our long-term partnerships with Amazonian peoples.

We invite you to hear from Olivia Bisa, President of the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation. The Chapra are an Indigenous people of the northern Peruvian Amazon, whose ancestral lands stretch along the tributaries of the Pastaza and Morona rivers, in the borderlands where Peru and Ecuador meet.

Every day, Indigenous leaders like Olivia confront powerful interests seeking to exploit their territories. They continue this work because they know that protecting the Amazon means protecting life itself.

They should not have to face this on their own. Your support means you stand with them.

We cannot celebrate World Environment Day without honoring Earth’s Defenders. Together, we can ensure that leaders like Olivia have the resources, visibility, and solidarity they need to continue protecting the world’s largest rainforest.

Happy World Environment Day!
With profound gratitude,
Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director, Amazon Watch