Restoration never begins with a single pair of hands. Restoration takes root when people build trust over time and pass stories and knowledge from one generation to the next. Knowing this, the GLF Restoration Stewards program has mentorship at its core. By supporting emerging young landscape leaders through tailored mentorship, mutual learning and intergenerational exchange, the program creates a space to navigate challenges, refine strategies and strengthen restoration work.
This year, each of the five Restoration Stewards part of the 2026 cohort has several supportive mentors, each of whom draws from experiential wisdom and expertise. From ecosystem restoration to agroecology, climate policy and Indigenous leadership, each mentor brings experience to support the Restoration Steward in their project.
Read on to meet the mentors of this year’s Restoration Stewards.
Lizet Maylí Mejia Penadillo — Forest Restoration Steward, Peru
Lizet is an award-winning climate activist and environmental engineer who is restoring high-Andean ecosystems in Peru’s Ancash region. Her work weaves together ecological restoration, citizen science, ancestral knowledge and education to regenerate queñual forests, which are critical for water security and biodiversity.
Lizet will be mentored by Ana Teresa Yi Soto, the GLFx coordinator for the GLF. She has over 12 years of experience as a communications and development specialist working for nonprofits and in the private sector. Ana brings global expertise in rural development, conservation strategy and youth movements. As co-founder of the International Network of Students for Peace and RED ESPAZ Peru, and founder of Crea Planeta, she will support Lizet in strengthening strategic communications and global engagement for restoration.
Alongside Ana, Ysabel Calderón will be Lizet’s peer mentor. She is the founder of the environmental organization Sumak Kawsay and the winner of the 2024 MIDORI prize for biodiversity. Ysabel is a grassroots leader focused on meliponiculture and native bee conservation in northern Peru. Through her work empowering Quechua and rural women in sustainable honey production and reforestation, Ysabel will provide Lizet with powerful insight into community-driven, women-led restoration models.
Breno Amajunepá — Dryland Restoration Steward, Brazil
Breno is an Indigenous Balatiponé-Umutina leader working at the intersection of climate adaptation, biodiversity and environmental justice in Brazil’s Cerrado-Amazon region. His project strengthens community-led climate adaptation by weaving Indigenous knowledge with youth engagement and ecosystem stewardship.
He is co-mentored by Henrique Marques and Pedro Magalhães, two leaders with socio-environmental and technical expertise. Henrique, an environmental engineer and master’s student in forest sciences at the University of Brasília, brings strong technical grounding. Having worked with ICRAF Brazil, IPEA and WWF Brazil, and now serving as Program Officer at CIFOR-ICRAF Brazil, Henrique contributes knowledge of agroforestry systems, ecological restoration chains, socio-environmental technologies and project implementation.
Pedro, GLFx LAC Hub Officer and social scientist from Brazil’s Cerrado region, brings over a decade of activist engagement and extensive experience in socio-environmental governance, extractivism, grassroots mobilization and development management. His systems-thinking approach will help Breno situate restoration work within broader structural and political realities across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Supporting Breno as a peer mentor is Maria Geane Magalhães Bastos, an agroecology advocate from Quilombo Lagoas in Brazil, and the 2024 Dryland Restoration Steward. With deep roots in Quilombola land stewardship, she combines agroecological management, rural education and community-led restoration. Her lived experience will deepen Breno’s connection to grassroots agroforestry and land regeneration.
Syliah Kagiiga — Wetland Restoration Steward, Uganda
Syliah is a geoscientist and co-founder of SBE Aquafarm, a social venture that transforms abandoned clay mining sites into productive wetland ecosystems through aquaculture and agroforestry. Her work strengthens food security, restores degraded land and fosters community ownership of restoration.
She is mentored by Amos Amanubo, Regional Coordinator for Africa at the Global Landscapes Forum. An interdisciplinary human geographer and trained forester, Amos brings experience from the FAO, ICLEI and the African Centre for a Green Economy. His expertise in climate policy, sustainable land use, governance and stakeholder engagement will offer Syliah strategic guidance for scaling restoration across African landscapes.
Her peer mentor, Ngobi Joel, a Ugandan climate and rural development activist and founder of the School Food Forest Initiative, contributes hands-on experience in mobilizing schools and communities for biodiversity restoration and food security. His youth-centered approach will give Syliah relatable insight into building lasting community engagement and ownership.
Gusti Ayu Made Mirah Rismayanti — Ocean Restoration Steward, Indonesia
Ayu restores coastal and marine ecosystems in Bali, focusing on seagrass meadows degraded by human pressure and environmental change. She combines science-based seagrass restoration with community engagement and blue carbon research to support long-term ecological balance.
She is guided by Trialaksita Sari Priska Ardhani, an Indonesian researcher specializing in mangroves and blue carbon. With a background in marine science and applied climatology, Trialaksita translates scientific evidence into policy-relevant, community-centered coastal initiatives. Her experience in mangrove restoration and environmental education will strengthen Ayu’s efforts to connect science with action.
Ayu’s peer mentor Eka Cahyaningrum, the 2022 Peatland Restoration Steward and founder of Himba Raya Indonesia (HIRAI), brings practical experience in peatland restoration, sustainable livelihoods, and environmental awareness-building in Central Kalimantan. Eka’s work rooted in supporting communities in Indonesia can complement and inspire Ayu’s work.
Ndumbe Knollis Mokake — Mountain Restoration Steward, Cameroon
Knollis, an environmental geography graduate, leads community-driven efforts around Mount Cameroon to tackle deforestation, climate change and declining smallholder livelihoods. His team trains residents in organic farming, tree nursery establishment and food processing to reduce pressure on mountain forests.
He is mentored by Sunday Geofrey, founder of Support Humanity Cameroon (SUHUCAM) and GLFx Yaounde chapter coordinator. With over 12 years of community development experience, Sunday supports marginalized communities through initiatives in tree planting, integrated farming systems, and climate resilience. His regional leadership across climate networks will support Knollis in scaling grassroots restoration efforts.
Knollis’ peer mentor Kamanzi Claudine, 2024 Dryland Restoration Steward and founder of the Forest for Life Project brings expertise in conservation agriculture, agroforestry and indigenous tree restoration. Kamanzi is also the coordinator of the GLFx Bugesera chapter in Rwanda. Her holistic approach integrating ecological recovery, soil fertility and community engagement will offer Knollis practical strategies for building resilient landscapes.
______________________
For more information on the Restoration Stewards program or to connect with the Restoration Stewards or mentors, contact Eirini Sakellari (E.Sakellari@cifor-icraf.org).
About the Restoration Stewards program
The Restoration Stewards is a youth program rooted in care, landscape leadership, diversity, intersectionality and intergenerational equity. Launched in 2020 by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL), it aims to support the efforts of youth-led teams in holistically restoring their landscapes and seascapes while nurturing biocultural diversity. Learn more at stewards.globallandscapesforum.org.
About the GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
About YIL
The Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) is a growing global network and movement of over 1.3 million young people working and studying in landscapes around the world. The Initiative is a partnership between the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA), Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Youth 4 Nature (Y4N) and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), who joined forces to deliver workshops, mentorship, training and networking. Today, YIL has become a global movement of young people committed to living and breathing the landscape’s philosophy: collaboration, diversity, and collective action. Learn more at youth.globallandscapesforum.org.
Share your thoughts with us