Educational Background: I worked in researches with pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) in Brazil and Antarctica. In Brazil, in projects related to Bio-ecology of Pinnipeds in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In Antarctica, in a project related to Global Changes and Trophic Ecology in the Antarctic Ecossystem.
Where I live and how I view my environment: I live in Manaus, northern Brazil, in the heart of the Amazonian Forest. Manaus is a great city, surrounded by protected areas, as Anavilhanas Ecological Station and Rio Negro State Park, the area where I work. The Amazon is grandiose and beautiful, a mix of peoples, cultures, languages, animals and plants, which interact and maintain the life of the forest.
Biodiversity means to me personally: Biodiverstiy is related to everything which lives, the richness of species, genes, animals, plants, cultures, and the relationships between all of them.
My Symbol of biodiversity: The Amazonian manatee, by its charisma, docility and threat that currently suffering, is one of the symbols of the fight for Amazon. Along the years, the species became a flagship for the conservation of the forest.
My motivation for participating: Show a little bit of Brazil and the conservation projects that are made here, know the projects and actions that are developed in other countries, exchange experiences, meet new people, new languages and new cultures. In short, grow professionally and personally.
How did I show I am ready to "Go 4 BioDiv": I believe I can contribute by sharing my experience of living in a country whose biodiversity is huge and suffers constant pressure, and also because I currently work in the field of conservation and in a protected area. I am involved in a conservation project of Amazonian Manatee, Trichechus inunguis, a large aquatic mammal, which is charismatic and one of the symbols of the Amazonian and Brazilian fauna, but, unfortunately is in danger. Our conservation project of the species plans to reintroduce several of these animals to their natural habitat, in the Rio Negro State Park, a protected area, and monitor them, supplying ecological information for a Managment Plan of the Amazonian Manatee in the future. Moreover, the project foresees the involvement of the traditional communities of the region, showing the importance of conservation of the species and conservation of the whole environment.
My message to other participants: I am sure that the exchange of information and experiences that we’ll make in the summit will generate ideas for us, for our countries, for planet and for life. We are answerable for our home…
