How one woman transformed mexico’s yucatán peninsula into a conservation success story

Conservation work isn’t the romantic adventure many imagine—it’s a daily grind of permits, budgets, and convincing reluctant communities to embrace change. For over four decades, Joann Andrews mastered this unglamorous reality in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, quietly transforming a region famous for ancient ruins and beach resorts into a model for modern conservation.

Andrews arrived in Yucatán in 1964 after marrying archaeologist E. Wyllys Andrews IV. When her husband died of cancer in 1971, the Connecticut-born widow faced a crossroads: return home or build a new life in Mexico with her six children. She chose to stay, a decision that would reshape conservation across the peninsula. Armed with degrees in political science from Columbia University and international economics from Johns Hopkins, Andrews brought both academic rigor and practical wisdom to her adopted home.

Her approach was revolutionary for its time—protecting wildlife while recognizing that local communities were partners, not obstacles, in conservation efforts. In regions where government resources were scarce and land rights complex, Andrews understood that success depended less on grand environmental theories and more on building trust and making institutions work effectively. Her patient, community-focused methodology helped establish protected areas that balanced ecological preservation with local needs.

Andrews passed away on December 22, 2025, in Mérida at age 96, leaving behind a conservation legacy that proves lasting environmental protection requires not just passion, but the often-overlooked skills of diplomacy, persistence, and genuine respect for the people who call these landscapes home.