Listening to life

Since 1976, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise – now part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative – have celebrated innovative contributions to science, technology, and conservation. Among the 2002 laureates were José Márcio Ayres, a primatologist and conservationist, and Michel André, a bioacoustics scientist, whose respective projects have significantly influenced environmental conservation.

Ayres established the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in the Brazilian state of Amazonas in 1996 to protect the bald uakari monkey, a species native to the region. His approach combined wildlife conservation with community involvement, enabling local residents to work as reserve managers while promoting sustainable livelihoods. This model later expanded to the neighbouring Amanã Reserve, creating one of the largest protected rainforest areas globally.

Despite Ayres’ passing in 2003, his legacy endures through the Mamirauá Institute, founded in 1999. Emiliano Esterci Ramalho, now the institute’s scientific director, has continued this work for two decades.