This transdiciplinary research aimed to establish the basis for a science-policy-society interface on behalf of environmental conservation and sustainable development in Madre de Dios, Peru by: (1) identifying and characterizing the stakeholders of biodiversity conservation and human well-being; (2) analyzing stakeholders' views on major development trends in the region; and (3) initiating a process of stakeholder engagement fromacademia, government, and civil society. The methods used included field visits, expert interviews, stakeholder mapping, stakeholder surveys, anda participatory multi-stakeholder workshop. Stakeholder mapping revealed 16 categories of key actors grouped among direct land-resource users,indirect land-resource users, the public sector, civil society, and research institutions. According to the actors surveyed, weak government institutionsand corruption are key underlying causes of environmental and social problems in Madre de Dios – particularly in connection with gold mining andother illegal or informal extractive activities. The research also highlighted the innovative potential that exists in the region, which has been home toseveral successful initiatives for nature and people in recent decades.