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ABOUT US

THE PROJECT

The ARAÇÁ project is being set up by Alexandre and Anna Antonelli, co-founders of the non-profit Antonelli Foundations for Biodiversity Research and Conservation, with generous support from the Ax:son Johnson family (Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Caroline and Johan Berg). Formal partnerships with national and international organisations will be established over time.   

 

Activities are centred around a 120-hectare property called RPPN Alto da Figueira (former Bacchus), a privately-owned reserve covered with primary rainforest near Nova Friburgo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). See the exact location here. Over time and as funding becomes available, we intend to own or manage additional properties in the region, in order to foster further research and to support conservation and restoration efforts that embrace the needs of local people and support a more sustainable stewardship of land and natural resources. 

 

Why focus on the Atlantic Forest?

 

For millions of years, the entire eastern coast of what is today Brazil was covered by an exceedingly diverse biome: the Atlantic Forest. But only over the last two hundred years or so, the expansion of agriculture, cities and roads, combined with the exploitation of the rainforest’s precious wood, have led to over 92% of this forest being lost (Tabarelli et al. 2014). The globally outstanding levels of diversity, combined with high conservation threats, have led to the formal designation of the Atlantic Forest as a global biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al. 2000). 

 

Alongside the threats and losses this biome already faces, there is also a great opportunity ahead. Protection of the remaining forests, and restoration of those that have already been degraded, can lead to substantial benefits to biodiversity (by decreasing the threats to species), climate (by capturing and storing carbon), and people (by preventing landslides, providing communities with clean water and air, pollination services, non-timber forest products, income from eco-tourism, and much more).

MEET OUR TEAM
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Alexandre Antonelli

Co-Leader

antonelli.bio [at] gmail.com

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Anna Antonelli

Co-Leader

anna [at] sveide.se

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Thomas Berg

General Manager

thomas.olof.berg [at] gmail.com

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Karine Bresolin

Research Assistant

karine.bresolin [at] gmail.com

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Paula Leitman

Lifeplan Scientific Officer

paulaleitman [at] gmail.com

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M. de Lurdes Cláudio

Domestic Officer

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Rafael D. da Silva

Operation Officer

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Rafael Ouverney

Operation Officer - Pirineus

FRIENDS OF ARAÇÁ
The project is extremely fortunate to have a number of 'Friends of ARAÇÁ', who share the project’s vision and objectives, and kindly provide expert support on a voluntary and long-term basis.
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Rhian Smith

Senior Science Editor  / Research Coordinator

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Mats Havström

Dir. Collections & Research

Gothenburg Botanical Garden

ASSOCIATE RESEARCHERS
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André Freitas

Professor, State University of Campinas

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Luiza F. A. de Paula

The Red List Project ScientistPostdoc UFMG

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Samantha Koehler

Assistant Professor, State University of Campinas

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