Our founder, Mascha Kauka, celebrates her 80th birthday—and looks back on an extraordinary life’s work.

For more than four decades, Mascha has been committed to protecting the Amazon rainforest and securing the future of its inhabitants. Through countless projects, collaborations, and the founding of a jungle academy, she has placed education and sustainable development at the forefront of her work.

For this work, she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on January 16, 2025—a high honor for her life’s work.

The media also recognized her commitment: The Süddeutsche Zeitung recently published a detailed portrait of Mascha titled “How a Munich woman is protecting the Amazon rainforest.”