Heather Needham from Preston was overjoyed when she got the letter signed from the legendary environmentalist.
Miss Needham, 21, is studying a degree in geography, with geocomputation & spatial analysis at King's College London.
She wrote her dissertation on the impacts of conflict cessation and post-conflict development on deforestation within Colombia and its protected areas.
She said: “Over 50% of Colombia’s territory is covered by forests, which are cleared at an alarming and unsustainable rate.”
In 2016, the Colombian government signed a peace agreement - End of Conflict and the Construction of Long-Term Peace, with the FARC rebels (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), which ended five decades of internal conflict.