A Fighter for Forests

To close out National Women’s History Month and mark the recent International Day of Forests, Winrock honors the late Dr. Sandra Brown, a pioneering woman in the historically male-dominated field of environmental science. Dr. Brown made profound contributions to the science of the global carbon cycle, and co-authored work honored with the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Brown led Winrock’s Ecosystem Services Unit – first as a founding member, later as director – and her methods for evaluating, quantifying and predicting the benefits of improved land management revolutionized the world of carbon accounting.

Much of that work culminated in Winrock’s long-standing partnership with the Guyana Forestry Commission, supporting the development of the country’s national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program. This video, captured during one of Brown’s last field visits to Guyana, elegantly demonstrates not only Dr. Brown’s conviction and strength of character, but the lasting impact of her work.

In recognition of her lifetime of achievements, Winrock has dedicated a new event series to Dr. Brown entitled Innovation@Winrock: The Sandra Brown Seminars on Technical Leadership in Development. More on the series and information on upcoming events is available here.