Martha Isabel Ruíz Corzo

The violinist who created a biosphere

Meet Martha Isabel Ruíz Corzo, a 69 year old music teacher turned eco-warrior in Mexico who pioneered a radical approach to conservation, tackling climate change and poverty simultaneously and driving the creation of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.

Better known as ‘Pati’, she spent the first part of her life as a professional violinist and music teacher in Mexico City. In the early 1980s Pati and her husband abandoned their middle-class life and relocated to the region of Sierra Gorda where, despite a lack of electricity and modern comforts, their family revelled in the simple pleasures of rural, mountain life.

It didn’t take long for Pati to realise her new home was facing serious environmental threats. Local families were trapped in a cycle of poverty as rampant deforestation and poor sanitation impacted the environment, reducing agricultural yields and incomes. Not one to sit back, Pati started a tree planting project, eventually escalating into full scale environmental education programs.

For over a decade she led a grassroots campaign against the government and mining companies to save the region from unregulated development. In 1997 Sierra Gorda was named as a biosphere reserve, saving 385,000 hectares of biodiverse land and wildlife. The victory marked the beginning of Pati’s next mission - to create a better economic future for 120,000 people who lived there.

Pati created a unique public-private management model, where eco-tourism, waste management, and conservation projects provide income for locals. She also helped pioneer ‘natural capital’ from which hundreds of families in Sierra Gorda receive $2 million a year from the sale of carbon credits. The model inspired the neighboring state of Guanajuato to add 263,000 hectares of their own protected land.

After four decades, Pati continues to be a force in conservation, holding workshops around the world and often finishing speeches with a song as a nod to her former career. As she approaches 70, she’s showing no signs of slowing down.

I want a total revolution! A change of values where we seek full abundance for everyone and learn to treat nature with respect and care. Once you know the true value of what is sacred, you'll have the energy to make those changes.