I'm Fernando, a 33-year-old Geographer and consultant for Integrated Fire Management at IPÊ. I joined the fight against forest fires in 2012 as a brigade member, fulfilling my dream of exploring the Amazon Forest. Over the past 12 years, I've held various positions within the Prevfogo/Ibama Brigades Program, including State Supervisor in Rio de Janeiro. Fire and its integration with the environment have profoundly transformed my life.

I am currently dedicated to building bridges between the various actors in the scenario of biodiversity conservation in Brazil, focusing on Integrated Fire Management, a Nature Based Solution. One of the implementers of Ibama's Federal Brigades Program, being a case of success within government programs for biodiversity conservation. Create communication bridges between public authorities and traditional communities, helping the implementation of Integrated Fire Management in indigenous territories and other conservation areas. Leadership of large teams of brigade members in activities to prevent and combat forest fires, such as command positions (Head of the Planning Section or Incident Command, within the standards of the Incident Command System) in the largest operations to combat forest fires in the country. Brazil in recent years, with emphasis on the Operations in the Xingu Indigenous Park in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Pantanal 2020 and Serra do Cachimbo 2019.

My experiences have taken me to diverse ecosystems like the Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga, and Lavrado de Roraima, where I've immersed myself in indigenous and quilombola communities. These moments have shaped the person I am today. I've come to realize that the true enchantment of my honorable mission stems from the intrinsic relationship between natural wonders and the resilient people who inhabit these territories.Contributing meaningfully to this relationship has been a driving force for me.

I firmly believe that people and their passion for the environment are the most powerful tools for conservation. Since 2022, I've focused on Integrated Fire Management as a Nature-Based Solution, with a specific emphasis on volunteering and community empowerment. My work involves learning, sharing acquired knowledge, and respecting local cultures.

I strive to empower and strengthen communities, fostering exchange and dialogue rather than imposing my views.

Being able to enjoy an inspiring space for exchanging and collectively strengthening dreams and inspirations. Listening and learning, always with an open heart, from people all over the world, always remembering that the most important tool for nature conservation is the passion and enthusiasm of people who dream of making the world a better place. And it is exactly these people, who volunteer in the Integrated Fire Management, who are the main focus of my project. Instruments to expand the scope of volunteering, protecting and engaging more and more people within the scope of the Project. In addition, and the desire to expand beyond Brazil, there is a poetic glimpse of the integration of Latin American peoples in the issue, mainly in biomes shared by sister nations, such as the Amazon and the Pantanal.

The opportunity to engage in such vital work and contribute to the consolidation of public policies fills me with enthusiasm. It is akin to the awe I felt at 21 when I first gazed upon the Amazon Forest.