The Burundian forestry activist Leonidas Nzigiyimpa was announced as the winner of the 2019 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award at a ceremony on the sidelines of the XXV IUFRO 2019 World Congress being held in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. The award was presented by IUFRO President Prof. Mike Wingfield who described Leonides as having a passionate commitment to improving forests and the lives of indigenous people, women and youth in his home country.

One example of his achievements in social activism includes assisting a community of 130 indigenous Batwa people, who had been living on the streets of the city of Bururi to form and association, pool their saving and buy a three-hectare parcel of land on the Bururi Nature reserve. They became the guardians of this forest that was threatened by illegal logging

Accepting the award, Nzigiyimpa said: "I decided to embark young people by connecting them to their nature, educating them, influencing them and finally changing them:  as the youth is the future of my country, planting trees is also planting for the future."

Since its inception in 2012, the award has recognised individuals who have helped preserve, restore and sustainably manage forests and improve the lives of people who depend on them. It was established by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), and named after the Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai.