IPÊ (Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas)
www.ipe.org.br

Established in 1992, the IPÊ works for the conservation of biodiversity in several Brazilian ecosystems, conducting research on rare and endangered species and implementing conservation management. The DWA provides support and equipment for the IPÊ research in Manaus, Brazil, with particular emphasis on the conservation of Amazonian manatees (Trichechus inunguis). Cristina Tófoli, a Brazilian wildlife conservationist who has worked with wildlife conservation since 2000, joined IPÊ in 2004 and since 2009 has coordinated the Amazonian Manatee Conservation Project. This project researches the wild populations and engages the local people in environmental education. In April 2011, she was advisor for the DWA and participated in the release of five young manatees in Peru. Assisting local staff from Iquitos and Dallas, her expertise in manatee release and telemetry tracking was quite helpful.