The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) is honored to recognize Callie Veelenturf as this month’s Outstanding Member of the Month. A marine conservation biologist and founder of For Nature at the National Geographic Society, Callie is redefining what it means to stand up for the living world.
Her groundbreaking work includes proposing and co-drafting Panama’s Law 287 (2022), which made Panama the third country in the world to recognize the Rights of Nature nationally. She also helped draft Article 29 of Law 371 (2023), a global milestone granting sea turtles legal rights. Most recently, Callie led the scientific research and community engagement that inspired the creation of a new National Wildlife Refuge in Panama’s Pearl Islands (2024), a landmark conservation measure under the Rights of Nature framework.
Beyond Panama, Callie is advancing marine science initiatives across Colombia and Ecuador, collaborating with local communities to protect endangered marine species. As founder of The Leatherback Project, she has trained thousands of soldiers to fight illegal turtle trade, discovered new nesting and foraging sites, and initiated long-term monitoring with the Guna People of Armila, Panama.
Her leadership extends globally. Through For Nature, Callie is working to bridge science, policy, and education to inspire paradigm-shifting protections for ecosystems. She has spoken at the United Nations multiple times and her work has been featured by the Washington Post, CBS News, and Smithsonian Magazine.
“Rights of Nature is the single most powerful concept that has given me hope for the future of humanity’s relationship with Nature,” says Callie.
Her vision proves that Rights of Nature is not only a legal framework but also a transformative movement for our collective future.
🔗 Learn more about Callie’s work:
- Interview with CBS Mornings
- Wild Hope: Can Sustainable Ecotourism Save Panama’s Pearl Islands?
- National Geographic – For Nature
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Washington Post: Countries are starting to give wild animals legal rights. Here’s why.
- Inside Climate News: Panama Enacts a Rights of Nature Law, Guaranteeing the Natural World’s ‘Right to Exist, Persist and Regenerate’
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Smithsonian Magazine – Should Endangered Turtles Have Legal Rights?
📬 Want to be featured as Outstanding Member of the Month – you, your organization, someone you admire, or an organization you admire? Join GARN for free and apply or nominate your organization / someone else through the link we’ll send directly to your inbox: garn.org/get-involved
