The extraordinary diversity of tropical life is captured by a young artist in the Brazilian Amazon.

Man and nature in Mamirauá

Authentic art from a remote Amazonian town

What child doesn’t like to draw animals? What child wouldn’t love to be able to draw the fabulous flora and fauna of the Amazon from personal experience?

The children of the tiny community of Vila Alencar, in Brazil’s Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, more than rose to the challenge in a recent Earth Day celebration. Their posters show both an abundance of youthful imagination and a thorough knowledge of their local environment. Part of their knowledge derives from their own heritage, but much is also the result of contact with visiting scientists and a growing number of ecotourists and professional guides. Their appreciation for the relationship between man and nature will help to ensure the future of this unique area.

Mamirauá received funding through the IDB-financed National Environment Program.