Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinosa

Welcome to A Portrait of Progress, a series that sees seven changemakers come together to create one inspiring collective. A collective united by one goal, protecting our planet and those who inhabit it. 

Please introduce yourself.
My name is Rosa Vásquez Espinosa. I’m a doctor in chemical biology, a National Geographic Explorer and I lead conservation efforts in the Amazon Rainforest.

What moves you?
What moves me is the sense of beauty we find in nature, in bees, trees, the ocean, birds. Nature teaches us the deepest lessons in belonging, resilience, risk-taking and even leadership.

What does Earth positive mean to you?
To me, Earth positive means moving from awareness to action. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being intentional. Being Earth positive means remembering that nature is alive, that it has a right to exist, and that it’s both our duty and our honour to protect it.

What advice would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self: trust your curiosity. Trust the questions, they’ll lead you exactly where you need to go.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to take positive action, where should they start?
Start right where you are, with what you have. Every step counts, like a drop in a river. Every action resonates and ripples out far beyond what we can see.

Best advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
The best advice I’ve been given is that everything in nature is alive and that we must listen closely. That advice came from my grandmother.

How do you connect to nature and why?
I connect to nature by remembering the stillness I find in the Amazon Rainforest, the rhythm of the river waters, the smell of wet soil after the rain. When the world feels chaotic, constantly pushing us to do more, nature’s quietness grounds me the most.