I was born and raised on the banks of the Tapajos River in the municipality
of Santarem, Amazon, Brazil. I spent my entire childhood in immediate contact
with all the wonders of the Amazon rainforest. This formative experience forged
a bond with nature that I never relinquished.
I became a guide right after graduating high school. From1984-1986, I worked
as a tour guide for Varig Airlines' world-famous
Tropical Hotel Santarem, then as a bilingual reservations agent for
Varig Airlines in Maceio, on the northeastern coast of Brazil. While working
there, I was acclaimed in Bobby Schenk´s book,
Segeln im Reich der Sturme.
In
1989 I joined the first demonstration against the construction of
Hydro-electric dams on various rivers in the Amazon.
Soon after that I retrurned home to
Santarem.
Over the next ten years, I organised private and scientific expeditions on
the Tapajos River, the Amazon Floodplains, and the Rio Negro. I continuted
working as a guide for Varig´s travel agency, associated with the
Tropical Hotel and other lodges.
I was also a naturalist/ lecturer on several cruise
ships;
M/S Explorer, M/S Lyubov Orlova,
and M/S Mercury.
In addition, I guided
for
The Center for Preservation of Indigenous Art, Culture and Sciences in
Alter do Chao.
From1996 to 2002, I worked as Field Director of the
Hyacinth Macaw Research Project for
The Wildlife Conservation Society (founded in 1895 as the New York
Zoological Society).
My first year there,
I
helped establish the Amazon Basin's
single richest wildife site,
The Manu
Wildlife Center in southern Peru. I then began conducting increasing
numbers of eco-tours to various conservatories in Brazil;
Itatiaia National Park (RJ),
Iguassu
National Park (PR),
Quebrangulo and
Muruci Reserves (AL),
Mamiraua
Ecological Station, and all over northern and southern Pantanal.
I led an expedition for the
University of Quebec that shed light on
the ecological impact of using mercury to mine gold in the Brazilian
Amazon.
Since graduating high school, I have been virtually self-taught.
My late brother, Flavio Serique, taught me
English which I expanded on through my extensive guiding experience and reading
novels based on expeditions that I led.
Together,
he and I participated in the
Kota Mama
Expedition organised by
The Scientific Exploration Society, which
resulted in John Blasford Snell´s book
East
to the Amazon.
One of the tours I
led was chosen by
The Guardian as
“one of the best in Latin America.”
I am
also a recommended guide in
Footprints,
Trip Wolf,
Lonely Planet,
Cruise Critic,
and
Trip Advisor.
I am specialized in bird identification and ecology.
In 2007, I pubished my first book,
Your Personal Guide to Amazon Wildlife. I
am currently writing my latest book
on Birds of the Amazon, and assisting
Joe Jackson on his book about the Amazon Gold Rush.
Other books I have collaborated on include;
Joe Jackson´s
The Thief at the End of the
World, Greg Grandin’s
The Rise and
Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle Town, Andrew Blackwell’s
Visit Sunny Chernobyl, Dan Dubowitz´s
Megalomania, and
Papageien der Welt by Matthias
Reinschmidt and Karl–Heinz Lambert.
I have
contributed texts and photographs to various magazines and books, including
The Ecologist, GEO and the cover of Dr.
Mark Hines’ book,
Jungle Marathon. Alan
Dean Foster (author of Star Trek, Star Wars, and Alien) dedicated his book,
The Drowning World, to me
. He also mentioned me in another book,
Predators I Have Known (2011).
I worked for
Discovery Channel on
the isolated ZoƩ People,
ABC,
BBC,
NDR,
Channel 7 on the
Suruwara tribe, the
Dan Rather Report
concerning current environmental issues, led
British Museum trips for their
Unknown
Amazon exhibit, and . I have helped create various videos including
The Earth Song by
Michael Jackson and
Atlantic
Rising by
Cambridge University.
My latest projects were with the Belgium TV´s
Hungaria Hotel (
Bartel’s Beard) and the Dutch VPRO’s
O’Hannlons Helden. Both
series will be aired in the next few months.
I currently reside in beautiful Alter do Chao, outside of Santarem, and
continue to guide organized tours,
host
travellers and guests, and host the
Jolly Dolly Festival , to
raise awareness of humanity´s eco-footprint through art and protest.
After the birth of my beloved daughter Flora,
two years ago, I moved here from the city to raise my family.
While I am not working, I love to windsurf,
or relax in my hammock overlooking the Amazon River and Jungle, the home to
which I owe this wonderful life.