Project

Roosevelt River: Life in the Most Dangerous Region of the Amazon

The purpose of this project is to travel to Resex Guariba Roosevelt, in Mato Grosso, through the Brazilian Amazon wilderness, with the support of residents and local leaders of the National Rubber Tappers Council, which was founded by Chico Mendes.

Famous for a visit by Theodore Roosevelt and Marshall Candido Rondon from 1913 - 1914, Resex Guariba Roosevelt is home to Colniza city, considered the most dangerous place in the Amazon.

Today, the rubber tappers who saved Theodore Roosevelt's life during his expedition are the ones calling for help. To protect them, the Guariba Roosevelt Extractive Reserve (Resex) was created in 1995, but the territory demarcation is in question by the Brazilian government, and the territory is disputed by logging interests and land speculators.

The region preserves the last remaining forest of Mato Grosso and is the key to the growth of the deforestation arch through the Amazon and Rondonia forests.