Turtle Conservation
Two cadre members from the Brigada Aliança have been overseeing direct conservation of river turtles for the past twelve years on the Rio das Mortes (River of the Dead). This work has impacted not only the turtle population, but also the overall fishery, 615,000-acre Araguaia State Park and local community. Recognition of this superb effort eventually saw the merging of a federal conservation program with ours that now entails more than 300 kilometers of river, one of the most promising and synergistic joint ventures in Brazil.
The basic annual budget of $150,000.00 for this project covers fuel, turtle-box construction, equipment purchase and maintenance, community outreach, communications and salaries. The impact of this money is exponential, as it inadvertently includes crucial support for both federal and state wildlife agencies to continue execution of their respective services and park management. Truth be told, employees from these agencies have said that, without the support of Brigada Aliança, their jobs would be impossible to execute.