What core values do you think are most important at IPBio?
Scientific research is the backbone of conservation. To catalyze change we must understand the consequences of our actions. Science allows us to diagnose our planet's health and it often provides the remedies. IPBio conducts biological research for this purpose. Many of our projects act as bioindicators of the the health of the natural world and with this information we can take effective action to preserve it.
Also, research alone is not enough! As humans are largely responsible for much of the concerns related to the biological world (such as deforestation, climate change, hunting) it is simply not enough to understand what is going on. We must communicate to the world the wonders of nature so they value its preservation.
Lastly, IPBio is located in the heart of the Atlantic Forest and 85% of our municipality is inside a conservation unit. This means that for locals, conservation is not theory, it is tangible and pervasive. It affects their lifestyle, source of income and their opinion on environmentalism. Part of IPBio’s mission is to demonstrate and create new ways for our community to live off the preservation of the forest which therefore reduced the incentives to destroy it.
What kind of research and environmental projects have you worked on thus far?
Bioluminescent mushrooms is our stand out project. As these mushrooms predominantly grow in the summer, IPBio studies cultivation techniques of these glowing mushrooms in order to grow them in the lab. This would allow us to show them to visitors all year long, allow researchers to study them all year long and potentially create a Museum of Bioluminescence to help the local tourism sector.
Also, I have lead projects related to inventorying fauna such as mammal and frogs. It is important to understand what species occur in our area as well as monitor their conservation status. Our frog biodiversity project is critical as it appears to be showing a drastic decline in biodiversity over the years.
How have your previous work experiences helped you in your current role?
I was, and still am, a science school teacher in addition to being the manager of IPBio. I believe my experience as a teacher is very helpful considering IPBio’s goal of conservation through education. My role as a teacher is to get children interested and passionate about biology. At IPBio we conduct the fundamental research but we are also responsible for explain to the world why they should care about these topics.
What kind of skills do you think are valuable when joining a company such as IPBio?
You must be passionate, able to multi-task and willing to hike! IPBio is a relatively small organization and therefore we select people who are driven to work hard and push the organization forward. Plus hiking is a must because most of our projects are related to field research although it should be call forest research here because fields are flat and don’t have trees as obstacles.
What does a regular day at IPBio look like for you?
My role has become more and more related to the administration of the organization. From managing staff to creating partnerships with universities but I am always still going to directly participate in certain research topics. This means that a regular day for me is difficult to explain as someday I am working at a desk creating joint project with professors, other days I am attending school/university groups who visit the reserve, other days I am in the lab studying the mushrooms.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I am never bored. As IPBio works on field research mainly, our projects change with the seasons. In the summer the focus is mushrooms and frogs as that is when they are prevalent, in the winter we focus more on birds as there is less fruit in the forest so more likely to come looking for food at our bird feeders. The season nature of our project means we are always working on different projects and this make it impossible to get bored.
How do you help support participants in learning more about ecotourism and sustainability during your educational projects?
A perfect example of this is our Young Biodiversity Artists course where students learn about biodiversity through the lense of a professional camera. The primary focus is to get child to learn and value our natural wonders and environmental issues. However, we chose to use photography as the tool for learning carefully. Firstly, it is engaging for the children. But more importantly, our town has a small but growing tourism sector. The town has already got many hotels and at a certain point the competition in hotel sector means that everyone starts to share a very little pie. IPBio wants to demonstrate that there are other creative ways to live off the preservation of nature rather than simply creating more hotels. We decided to pursue nature photography as we have staff members with the skill but the idea is to spark innovation in eco-tourism.
For volunteers, what do you hope they learn while experiencing an IPBio project?
I hope the value of research as a tool for conservation but more importantly that you don't need to be a biologist to understand, care about these issues or to have an impact. There are so many ways to get involved in the preservation of the environment. I believe IPBio´s volunteer roles reflect this as we can utilize skills of people with videography, communications and other skills not related directly to research. If you care about conservation you will find a way to use your skills and academic background and apply it to environmentalism.
How do you ensure eco-friendly and sustainable living during a project?
IPBio has clear rules about energy use. Volunteers can also use our organic vegetable patch (and are asked to put their leftovers in the organic waste patch) and in the process learn about topics such as use of pesticides.
If you could give all IPBio students one piece of advice, what would it be?
Do not let your skill set deter you from working in an area you are passionate about. IPBio has seen the value of students with skills unrelated to biology. Do not think because you are not a scientist you can't pursue a career in conservation because all research institutes are in need of people to communicate their work to the world.
