The Amazon Knowledge Source Database, created by Amazônia Vox and enhanced with support from the Serrapilheira Institute, is designed to amplify the presence of Amazonian experts in the media 

“If you’re going to discuss the Amazon, listen to us. We have incredible stories to share.” This statement by Ângela Mendes, daughter of Chico Mendes, captures the essence of the Amazon Knowledge Source Database. Created by Amazônia Vox and backed by the Serrapilheira Institute, the project has surpassed 1,200 registered names. As Amazonia Day on September 5 approaches, along with COP30, the platform seeks to elevate local perspectives and showcase knowledge produced in the Amazon. 

The source database is freely accessible here. The goal is to connect journalists, event and content producers, scientists, and other experts in fields such as environment and biodiversity, history, culture, and health. It also facilitates contact with civil society representatives, Indigenous leaders, and other voices. Users can search for sources by name, location, or topic.

The idea of creating a source database to increase the visibility of Amazonian voices in the media emerged in 2023. At the time, Amazônia Vox—one of six initiatives supported by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in 2024—was already active in other areas, including producing journalistic content, offering training, maintaining a database of freelance communicators, and, albeit at a slower pace, developing the source database. With support from the Serrapilheira Institute, the program Amazon Calling: Voices, Science, and Communication of the Amazon was launched to expand and strengthen this tool by 2025.

To jumpstart the project’s expansion, eighteen professionals—nine journalists and nine journalism students—were selected and paired together in each state of the Legal Amazon (Amapá, Pará, Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, and Maranhão). The initiative also provided stipends to each pair. The goal was to map and register 1,000 sources by September 2025, while strengthening the existing database.

The target was exceeded even before the project concluded. The database now includes more than 1,200 entries spanning the nine states of the Legal Amazon. Researchers, institutions, and local collectives can register on the platform independently by completing a registration form, after which the Amazônia Vox team reviews and approves submissions for inclusion in the database. 

Daniel Nardin, the program’s creator and executive director of Amazônia Vox, said the initiative aims to deepen the participation of local experts in analyzing and reporting on issues in the Amazon region. “Including the voices and knowledge of people from or living in the region in our content is a way to practice decolonial journalism. It prioritizes knowledge produced in a region that has historically been viewed through the lens of outsiders. This allows for greater depth and  diversity of voices while creating new opportunities by raising awareness of issues—with their respective problems and solutions—through the lens of Amazonian knowledge,” he notes.

According to Ruanne Lima, coordinator of the Amazon Calling program, there is a need to shift away from discussions led by outside perspectives. “In the Amazon, we have outstanding scientists, researchers, and leaders from Indigenous, quilombola, and riverine communities who can speak to our unique characteristics and knowledge. It is essential to give these voices space so we can better understand the challenges facing our region and, above all, how to overcome them.”

Meet some of the registered sources:

Maria Elena Crespo López (Belém/PA) – PhD in biochemistry, full professor at the Institute of Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), and recipient of a CNPq research productivity grant (Level 1D). She leads the Amazon Mercury Institute, a leading organization in addressing mercury contamination in the region. She was one of the authors of the Regional Plan for Mitigating the Impacts of Mercury on the Amazon Environment (2025) and drafted Bill 1011/2023 on the National Policy for the Prevention of Mercury Exposure. She is a member of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership and ranks among the Latin America Top 5,000 Scientists and the World Top Ten Percent Scientists.

Edithe Pereira (Belém/PA) – Ph.D. in history and geography from the University of Valencia (Spain), emeritus researcher at the Goeldi Museum, and CNPq research productivity fellow (Level 1D). She has been conducting archaeological research in the Amazon for over 30 years, focusing on rock art, archaeological inventories, and heritage dissemination. She coordinates the project “The Pre-Colonial Occupation of Monte Alegre, Pará: Conservation of Rock Paintings.”

Valdenira Ferreira dos Santos (Macapá/AP) – B.Sc. in geology from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from Fluminense Federal University (UFF). A researcher at the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research of the State of Amapá (IEPA) and professor at the Federal University of Amapá (UNIFAP), she coordinates the Amazon River Mouth Observation System and projects on vulnerability and sustainability in Amazonian coastal zones. In 2022, she received the UNESCO Marta Vannucci Award for Women in Ocean Science. She has worked on environmental mapping of the Amazon River Mouth Basin.

William Xavier (Macapá/AP) – B.A. in biology, master’s in tropical biodiversity, and Ph.D. in biodiversity networks and biotechnology of the Legal Amazon. A professor at the State University of Amapá, he leads the research group “Study and Use of Amazonian Biodiversity” and focuses on mycology, microbiology, and environmental education. He coordinates projects focused on mushroom cultivation, biodiversity, and science outreach.

Almir Suruí (Cacoal/RO) – Almir Suruí is an Indigenous leader and the current president of the Paiter Suruí people in Rondônia. He was the first democratically elected president of the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Territory and led the 50-year Territorial Management Plan. He created sustainable initiatives, including the Suruí Carbon Project and the PAMINE Project, as well as the Paiter Suruí Cultural Map in partnership with Google Earth. He received the UN Human Rights Award and was listed among the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine.

Ana Mumbuca (Palmas/TO) – B.A. in social work from Lutheran University of Brazil(ULBRA), holds a master’s degree in sustainable development with traditional peoples and communities from the University of Brasília (UnB), and is a doctoral candidate in human rights and citizenship (UnB). She works on racial issues, with an emphasis on quilombola communities. She has participated in research for the New Social Cartography of the Amazon Project in quilombola territories in Tocantins.

Sonaira Silva (Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre) – A researcher who studies wildfires and forest fires in Acre. She uses satellite imagery to map and identify affected areas, and to investigate factors contributing to fire occurrence, such as drought, temperature, land use, and deforestation. Professor of geoprocessing at the Federal University of Acre (UFAC).

Emanuel Fernando (Porto Velho/RO) – Agroecologist, Ph.D. in crop science from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), and associate professor at the Federal University of Rondônia. He works in the graduate programs in regional development and the environment and environmental sciences. His research focuses on agroecology, agroforestry systems, restoration of ecosystem services, and the bioeconomy, in partnership with local communities and family farmers in the western Amazon region.

Diogo de Lima (Tefé/AM) – Coordinator of the Wildlife Management Program at the Mamirauá Institute and a senior research and development analyst. B.A. in zootechnology from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) with a master’s degree in rural administration and development, he researches community wildlife management in the Mamirauá Reserve, focusing on sustainability, conservation, production chains, and conflicts between agriculture and wildlife.