In 1983, Dr. Jose Marcio Ayres, a young biologist from a town at the mouth of the Amazon River, set out to look for a rare scarlet faced monkey called the white uakari, whose habitat is only in a particular area in the flat flooded forests of the Amazon. With him was renowned photographer Luis Claudio Marigo (Vitor’s father). After giving up on sites either too remote for his boat or too inundated with voracious insects he arrived at the Mamirauá lake system.
Through extensive study of. the uakari and its habitat, Dr. Ayres and Mr. Marigo documented and photographed the delicate balance between existing natural resources and the exploitation of these resources by the local communities. Man’s adaptation to the unique but ever changing demands of life in the flooded forest is crucial to the future for all, and the primatologist and photographer saw the critical need for the local communities to develop and implement sustainable use of natural resources as well as new economic procedures to ensure low environmental impact. Their research, studies and fierce advocacy resulted in the creation of the Mamiraua’s Reserve, the first of many such sustainable communities in the Amazon region. Communities were assisted in learning resource management to change their unsustainable useage into sustainable methods – from fishing to logging, to planting and more. The locals were also given protection from being evicted from their homes due to potential land grabbing.
The uakari are forever grateful (from the internet):
You can read about this amazing story in:
“MAMIRAUÁ: A GUIDE TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE AMAZON FLOODED FOREST”
text:
MATT BANNERMAN
based on information from Mamirauá contributors
photos:
LUIZ CLAUDIO MARIGO
Back in the Anavilhanas Archipelago we were honored to visit such a protected village community known as a “cabaclo” – people of mixed Brazilian indigenous and European ancestry. As we roamed through the village we witnessed first hand skills in sustainable use of natural resources. We walked through the lovely schoolhouse where children of this village as well as those from neighboring villages were taught:
There were fascinating artifacts also on display:
In addition, we were guided by the local chief/medicine man who took us through his wonderful garden of medicinal herbs and plants, oils, unquents, etc that alleviate pain, swelling, infection and more. Sadly for me – I asked – he did not have a poultice to regrow the cartilage gone from my knees.
Quite a humbling experience.
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