Almost 30 years ago, Brazilian conservationist José Márcio Ayres established the largest continuous stretch of protected rainforest in the world. His vision for the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve was to prioritize the well-being and livelihoods of local people. He knew that keeping them as guardians of the rainforest would be the best way to ensure the lasting success of the reserve. Although Ayres passed away in 2003, his legacy lives on in Mamirauá. Among those he inspired to protect the Amazon is fellow 2002 Rolex Awards Laureate Michel André, who is using his decades of experience at the cutting edge of bioacoustics to monitor the area’s biodiversity through sound. Discover more https://on.rolex.org/3AmM26K