WCS Brazil
Staff

 


Ana Luiza Melgaço
Specialist in Articulation with Indigenous Peoples
Ana Luiza Melgaço has a master's degree in Biodiversity Conservation Practice from the Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE). She works with indigenous people in the Amazon since 2004, when she began her degree in Biology and sought experiences in the field of ethnoecology and agroecology. Always had a genuine interest in biological and cultural diversity. During her master's degree she lived in Central America, having carried out her fieldwork in indigenous communities in Guatemala. She sailed for a year around the islands of the South Pacific, seeking to get to know different indigenous peoples, their culture, and ways of life. Her professional work takes place in multiple places in the Amazon alongside various indigenous people, with a focus on participatory approaches to conservation, including mediation of participatory processes for the creation, planning and management of protected areas, management and conservation of natural resources, dialogues and intercultural education, strengthening indigenous organizations, cross-border coordination, climate governance and indigenous participation, coordination of socio-environmental programs and projects in indigenous non-governmental organizations. At WCS Brasil, Ana Luiza works as a specialist in articulation with indigenous people.
André Almeida Ramos
Finance and Administrative Analyst
André Ramos is graduated in PE at the Universidade do Norte in Manaus and has 9 years of experience in the administrative and financial routines of public agencies and private companies. At WCS Brazil André is responsible for processing the finance data into WCS Brazil ERP system in order to guarantee the correct registration of the the accounting and financial information, and assists the Finance Manager with the Manaus office daily routine. He also helps the techinical staff with the logistic and organization of workshops and field trips.
Antônio de Carvalho Filho
Specialist in Combating Wildlife Trafficking
Antônio is a biologist and has a master's degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the State University of Santa Cruz, a PhD in Sciences from the Federal University of São Carlos and two postdoctoral degrees in the areas of Genetics and Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation. Works in different lines of monitoring wildlife trafficking (online and offline), with experience in dialogues with legal, police and legislative authorities, as well as with civil society and national and international media. He started his activities at WCS Brasil in October 2022 and is responsible for actions to combat wildlife trafficking.
Camila R Ferrara
Aquatic Wildlife Ecologist
Camila Ferrara has a veterinary degree and has always been very interest in chelonian (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins) behavior and ecology and has been working in Amazon since 2003. During this time she completed her masters and PhD in Aquatic Biology, with a focus on turtle ecology and conservation, at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) in Manaus, Brazil. She also coordinated for two years on the project Tartarugas da Amazonia (Turtles of Amazonia), managing field-based monitoring efforts, work with local-communities to protect nesting beaches, and environmental education activities. She began working for WCS in March 2013 as the Aquatic Wildlife Ecologist for the Brazilan Amazon Program. Her responsibilities include creating a conservation plan for freshwater turtles in Amazonas State, training professionals, students, and local community members in wildlife monitoring techniques, and coordinating WCS monitoring and conservation efforts aimed at aquatic wildife (especially turtles) priority areas.
Carlos Durigan
Country Director
Carlos Durigan has an academic background in Geography and a wide experience in Environmental Conservation of the Amazon, where he lives and works for more than 20 years. Since finishing his master´s degree in Ecology at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), he has been engaged in a variety of activities related to biodiversity conservation. These activities have included creation and implementation of protected areas; multidisciplinary, field-based research on biodiversity and socioeconomic diversity; and participation in biological, socioeconomic and ethno-environmental surveys to support projects and actions in conservation units and indigenous lands. He has also participated in a variety of forums and NGOs networks, that have contributed to the formation of socio-environmental public policies for the Amazon region.
Daniel Soares
GIS Analyst
Daniel Soares is graduated in Technology in Systems Development and specialized in Geosciences, Data Sciences and Technology for Business: AI, Data Science and Big Data. He has been working for 30 years in the technology area, with the last five years dedicated exclusively to the area of Geotechnology and Remote Environmental Monitoring Systems. Daniel has important professional and academic contributions to the development of studies, research, applications focused on geosciences, and the development of environmental monitoring systems, contributing decisively to the prevention and combat of deforestation and illegal forest fires in the State of Amazonas. At WCS, Daniel serves as GIS Analyst.
Danyela Almeida Paiva
Technical Assistant
Danyela Almeida Paiva is an Environmental Engineer and has extensive experience in spatial analysis for monitoring biodiversity in border areas. With geoprocessing work, she contributed to the ordering of more than 2 million hectares in the development of plans and agreements for the conservation of aquatic environments in the State of Amazonas. Danyela has also worked on studies for the creation of protected areas and consolidation of the State System of Conservation Units and in strengthening socio-environmental policies. She currently works as a Technical Assistant at WCS Brasil.
Guillermo Estupinan
Fisheries Specialist
Guillermo has a bachelor degree in Biology from the Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, and a master degree in Freshwater Biology and Inland Fisheries from the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA). He is specialized in fisheries management, creation and implementation of conservation units, and has professional experience in non-governmental and governmental institutions. Working on the Amazon region since 2000 he has coordinated and participated in several actions focused on the income generation for traditional populations, public policy formulation and preparation of management plans for protected areas. He joined the Amazon WCS-Brazil Program in January 2014 to coordinate the actions of fisheries management and aquatic landscapes.
Indiara Bessa Siqueira
Communication Assistant
Indiara Bessa studied Journalism at the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam). She has experience working as a reporter in Brazilian newspapers, and also with communication and social media consultancy in public agencies and NGOs. Indiara is an indigenous woman and works on socio-environmental causes in her personal and professional life. In her last experience, she led communications for an organization supporting the Yanomami indigenous peoples, in Amazonas. At WCS, Indiara serves as a Communications Assistant.
Jorge Luiz Rombaldo Junior
Finance and Administrative Manager
Jorge is Bachelor in International Business. Native Portuguese, fluent English and advanced Spanish. 10+ years’ experience in a senior financial managerial position in multinationals and NGO, including experience of managing operations/business support functions, and the strategy of the business and having input as well as the day to day managing of the finance and administration function. Finance: payables and receivables, budget monitoring and cash flow controlling. Posting and checking all kind of invoices at SAP and others ERP systems for general expenses, revenues and costs. Administrative: corporate procurement process, general orders, requests and relationship management between internal and external customers, stakeholders and suppliers with the head office and/or final clients. General affairs duties are also part of my routine such as event organization and management, fleet administration, real estate management, expatriates assistance, post and notary office, office facilities, general materials purchase, fundraising opportunities for NGO, and others.
Manoela Borges
Program Officer
Manoela Borges holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences from the State University of Santa Cruz (Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil) and a Master's Degree in Ecology from the National Institution for Amazonian Research (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil). Since 2003 she has been working in the Amazon and has experience with issues related to the curation of scientific collections, Ecology and conservation of mammals, forest fragmentation, and more recently, has been working with bioeconomy and sustainable development, as well as in the management and supervision of projects / programs of conservation. At WCS, serves as Program Officer.
Marcia Regina Lederman
Conservation Areas Manager
Márcia Lederman is a biologist, specialized in protected area management and holds a master's degree in biodiversity management and conservation. She has experience in planning and participatory management of public and private protected areas, as well as other territorial management instruments such as ecological corridors, biosphere reserves and mosaics. Marcia has developed her professional experience in the Atlantic Forest, the Amazon and Mexico, in contact with various governmental and civil society actors, as well as rural communities living in and around protected areas. She has worked in national and international consultancies, is a moderator and facilitator of participatory processes and an instructor in postgraduate programs for training protected area managers in the Amazon and Latin America. She is a mentor in the formation of the Network of Young Leaders in Protected and Conserved Areas in Latin America and the Caribbean - Rellac Joven. She was president of SAPI - Sociedade Amigos por Itaúnas, a socio-environmentalist NGO in the north of Espírito Santo, from 2017 to 2023. At WCS, Marcia Lederman serves as Conservation Areas Manager.
Marcos Amend
Conservation Director
Marcos Amend has been working in environmental conservation since 1987. Holds a master's degree in Economics and Forest Policy from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and is a specialist in Administration graduaded from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR). He has extensive national and international experience in topics related to conservation, including management of protected areas, ecotourism, environmental policy instruments, cost-benefit analysis of projects, economics of natural resources, among others. Since 1998, Marcos has also dedicated himself to photographing natural environments around the world. He maintains an image bank, organizes courses, workshops and photographic expeditions. Marcos is currently the Conservation Director at WCS Brasil, working on programs and projects focused on the development of initiatives, information and images aimed at nature conservation.
Marina Souza
Communication Specialist
Amazonian passionate about people and their stories. Marina is a journalist graduated from the Federal University of Amazonas and UX Designer, with 13 years of experience in communication for environmental conservation, communication consultancy, accessibility, and digital communication management. Has dedicated her career to socio-environmental causes, especially to protected areas, sustainable development and bioeconomy. Also works with volunteering and social engagement. At WCS, she works as Communication Specialist since 2022.
Priscila Cabral e Silva
Human Resources Analyst
Priscila Cabral completed a graduate degree in people management and has 13 years of experience in the area of Human Resources and people management. Priscila has experience in all HR subsystems, from recruitment, payroll, benefits and Brazilian labor legislation plus formation in psychoanalysis, life and professional coaching. Priscila coordinates the implementation and effective management of activities within the human resources department, ensuring the smooth operation of processes related to recruitment, hiring, payroll, occupational health, performance management, benefits, training and development, and all aspects of human resources administration in compliance with Brazilian labor legislation and WCS Brazil’s policies, processes, and procedures, promoting an ideal working environment for the operation.
Sannie Brum
ICTIO Specialist
Sannie is a biologist, graduated from the State University of Norte Fluminense, with a master's and doctorate in Biology of Freshwater and Inland Fisheries from the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (Inpa). In the Amazon for 15 years now, she has been active in research and conservation of aquatic fauna, mainly with regard to the interaction of aquatic mammals with fishing, and management and conservation of fishing resources. She has experience (and passion) in adaptive management of fisheries resources in protected areas, mainly in Pirarucu Management, having experience in community organization for management and participatory monitoring. She started her activities at WCS in November 2022, as a specialist in Ictio, the open and collaborative database for fish observations in the Amazon basin.
Saulo Negreiros
Administrative Assistant
Saulo Negreiros has a degree in Electrical Engineering and Environmental Management, and a postgraduate degree in Project Development and Management. He has experience in the third sector, being responsible for logistics activities, maintenance and financial support and for the technical team. It also supports the preparation of terms of reference, letters of invitation, purchases and payments. Saulo serves as Administrative Assistant at WCS.