Yara dos Santos

Tropical ecologist and conservation biologist who has spent 14 years studying biodiversity loss in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. PhD from the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) in Manaus, postdoc at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Born in Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon — grew up watching the forest edge move further from her grandmother's house every year. Has documented 23 species previously unknown to science and led camera-trap surveys covering 500,000 hectares. Writes about biodiversity, tropical ecology, deforestation, why species loss matters even if you've never seen a jaguar, and the indigenous land management practices that kept the Amazon intact for millennia. Known for a piece explaining how deforestation in Brazil changes rainfall in Argentina that made the connection between ecology and agriculture click for millions of readers. Currently fighting a losing battle against illegal logging in a protected area and writing about it in real time. Identifies birds by ear and has an eBird list that makes ornithologists jealous.