Posted in: 06/27/2021
The main objective of the Synergia In Defense of the Pantanal Campaign was to raise funds to financially support the work of NGOs that were already working to conserve the biome, even before the environmental tragedy of 2020.
During the worst drought in the last 50 years, which resulted in a historic 220% increase in the number of fires in the region, 30% of the entire Pantanal was affected by fires and the biome registered more than 4.5 million hectares devastated by the fire.
With the fires, most of the NGOs’ efforts were directed to recover the damage caused, to rescue and care for the animals affected, and to support the Pantanal populations (indigenous, quilombolas, and riverside dwellers). Now, with the reduction of fires, undertaking preventive measures to avoid future fires has also become one of the priorities.
We have started the Synergia In Defense of the Pantanal Campaign on December 18th, 2020. The Live, celebrating Synergia’s 15 years, with a concert by singer Zeca Baleiro, had more than 5,000 views, and was the campaign’s kick-off.
During the broadcast, donations were opened, with an initial amount of R$15,000, made by Synergia. We received donations from all over Brazil, and counted not only on the participation of the company’s employees, but also on hundreds of people who identified with the cause.
The campaign continued, with strong engagement on the website and social networks of the company and the NGOs. Therefore, on January 27th, for the final stretch, we prepared the Live “Prosa Pantaneira” (“A chat about the Pantanal”).
We received guests to present, discuss and clarify doubts about the real situation of the Pantanal, to refute the fake news and show statistics about the biome, to learn more about the main ways to prevent forest fires and how everyone can keep helping to save the Pantanal.
On January 31th, 2021, the campaign ended with a total of R$ 41,807.17 collected. The amount was audited by SOS Pantanal, which took care of the transfer to the other NGOs: the Arara Azul Institute, the Onçafari Association and to the Degraded Areas Recovery Project, of SOS Pantanal with the Ecology of Intervention Laboratory (LEI), of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Check out the 2020 Report – Synergia Em Defesa do Pantanal, prepared by SOS Pantanal. In it, you can see the data from the audit conducted by SOS, the results of the campaign, information on the transfer of funds, and the actions that could be carried out by NGOs thanks to the donations.
Click on the image to access the report
Our campaign is over, but you can still help the Pantanal by supporting NGOs and their projects. Whether with financial donations, volunteering, or helping to make their actions noticed, every way of contributing to the cause is valid.
Learn more about the NGO’s work:
SOS Pantanal – www.sospantanal.org.br
SOS Pantanal Institute acts in the region defense and sustainable development. Although it does not act directly in firefighting, it performs a significant role in fund raising and management, to cover logistic and operation costs for volunteer firefighters and institutions engaged.
Also check out the page of the movement O Pantanal Chama, created to defend the riverside communities, indigenous people, quilombolas, the animals, and the entire Pantanal biome against the current environmental tragedy.
Intervention Ecology Laboratory (LEI), of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – www.instagram.com/lei_ufms
LEI collaborates with SOS Pantanal Degraded Area Recovery Project, working jointly in the front line to minimize the damage caused by the fire. Comprised by professionals that work in ecological recovery and biodiversity conservation areas, the Intervention Ecology Laboratory has provided technical and scientific support in the fight against fires.
Arara Azul Institute – www.institutoararaazul.org.br
The Arara Azul Institute collaborates with protection and prevention actions against fires and acts to prevent the Fazenda São Francisco do Perigara, the largest natural refuge for Hyacinth Macaws in the country, from being completely destroyed by the fires, also taking away the home of so many other rare species of fauna found there.
The Onçafari Association – www.oncafari.org
The NGO Onçafari has worked strongly to rescue, rehabilitate and reinsert jaguars, maned wolves, and other species in safe places in the nature. Their daily work also includes local region biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development, Pantanal culture valuing and ecotourism consolidation as conservation tool.
It is worth knowing the campaign “The Wild to The Wild: now it is the time for the cougar”, that raises funds to the reintroduction work of Cacau, the first cougar that the organization reintroduces in Pantanal.
The Synergia In Defense of the Pantanal Campaign was a success. But this was only possible thanks to the mobilization of so many people who embraced this cause and made their donations. Check out the list of donors who authorized us to publish their names:
| Adriana Rocha de Barros | TPF Engenharia |
| Alexandre Pessôa | Lucilo Maranhão Diagnosticos |
| Andréa Aparecida Santini | Nippon Koei LAC |
| Beatriz Maranhão | Ayty Tecnologias Ambientais |
| Carlos Henrique de Souza Teixeira | Enplan |
| Clarissa Age | Orgganica |
| Gabriela de Jesus D’Amaral | Ateliê Software |
| Juliana de Mello Fonseca | Granatum |
| Jussara Couto Jimenez | |
| Karina Mendes da Costa | |
| Matheus Haddad | |
| Patrícia Borsari Ferreira Monteiro | |
| Presley dos Santos Vidotto | |
| Sophia Machado Lamounier | |
| Thiago Silva Palazzi Ribeiro | |
| Vinícius Moreno de Sousa Corrêa | |
| Vinícius Salsotto de Carvalho | |
| Wendell Coelho de Freitas |