Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes
Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes, or Neiva Guedes, (born
In November 1989, Neiva came across a flock of hyacinth macaws in the Pantanal and, knowing that they were in danger of extinction, she began to work on cataloguing and conserving the species with her own means. Illegal capture for the pet bird trade, habitat destruction and feather collection for handicrafts were the main reasons for the drastic reduction in hyacinth macaw numbers.[1]
Biography
Neiva was born in 1962, in
She graduated in biology from the
Still a recent graduate, in 1989 Neiva first saw the hyacinth macaw in the Pantanal. Upon discovering that they were in danger of extinction she reasoned that the best way to preserve the species would be to study the causes of their disappearance, monitoring the remaining individuals, mapping nests, counting eggs and chicks. At the time, there was little research on hyacinth macaws, and Neiva's research work was the main generator of information on hyacinth macaw populations, their ways of life and reproduction.[2][3]
While studying for her master's, she travelled to the Pantanal from the municipality of Miranda, replicating her studies. With help from the World Wide Fund for Nature, she learned to climb trees to access the nests of the hyacinth macaws. Neiva discovered that hyacinth macaws are "environmental engineers" of nature: Their nests, which are built in cavities in trees, are also used by other species, and the macaws help spread seeds to more distant locations from the mother plant.[2][3]
Towards the end of the 1980s it was estimated that the population of hyacinth macaws numbered less than 1500 individuals. By 2019, circa 6500 individual hyacinth macaws lived in the Pantanal alone, not counting additional individuals elsewhere in the cerrado biome.[3] Neiva's work also revealed that the main obstacle to the species' reproduction was the lack of nesting cavities for the animals and their young, causing birds to quarrel for the few good spaces available. Thus, Neiva and her co-workers started installing wooden nesting boxes on top of the trees. Farmers allowed the researchers to enter and install nesting boxes and even started planting trees to facilitate the hyacinth macaws' reproduction.[2][4]
In 2005, Neiva began her
Instituto Arara Azul
The
Beyond studying hyacinth macaws, the institute also studies the reproductive biology of
In 2019, Neiva was nominated for the Prêmio Faz Diferença (English: Make a Difference Award), a partnership between the Brazilian newspaper O Globo and the Industry Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro.[7]
References
- ^ Neiva Guedes (ed.). "Projeto Arara Azul: Uma década de parcerias e conservação no Pantanal". Anais da 56ª Reunião Anual da SBPC - Cuiabá, MT - Julho/2004. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d Marcia Sousa (ed.). "Mulheres na conservação: Neiva Guedes". Ciclo Vivo. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Paulina Chamorro (ed.). "Como o amor desta bióloga pelas araras salvou uma espécie da extinção". National Geographic Brasil. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Bióloga de MS que ajudou a tirar a arara azul da lista de animais em extinção é indicada a prêmio 'Faz Diferença'". G1. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ Sucesso reprodutivo, mortalidade e crescimento de filhotes de araras azuis Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (Aves, Psittacidae) no Pantanal, Brasil (Thesis). 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ a b c "O instituto". Instituto Arara Azul. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Bióloga que ajudou a salvar arara azul da extinção concorre a prêmio". Conselho Regional de Biologia 6ª Região. Retrieved 11 February 2020.