Writing for the world-renowned journal of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS, Dr. Douglas Daly shares the story of one master woodman in the Brazilian Amazon afflicted with COVID-19 interwoven with the dilemma of researchers who can no longer travel to the region. While the super-mateiro confronts the unknown of the virus and the possibility of not being able to work and provide for his family, scientists watch from afar as significant swaths of the Amazon forest go up in flames in the absence of environmental oversight and enforcement of regulations.
Although these harsh realities are tempered by the happy news of the woodman’s recovery, field-based researchers will need to continue to explore and embrace creative strategies for sustaining the advancement of knowledge and ensuring the prudent application of protections for this critical ecosystem.
