ASG Regional Team
Regional Chair: Cybele Sabino Lisboa
Deputy Chair: Renata Vaz
Planning Director and Red List Authority: Iberê Farina Machado
Programme Officers: Caroline Batistim Oswald, Iago Junqueira, Janaina Serrano, Quezia Ramalho
Communication Members: Gabriela Carvalho, Katarine Novertino, Suellen de Oliveira
Past members:
Regional Co-Chair: Márcio Martins (2007-2016), Magno Segalla (2007-2013), Débora Leite Silvano (2012-2020).
Programme Officers: Luis Fernando Marin da Fonte (2014-2021), Lucas Ferrante (2016-2018)
The Brazilian regional branch of the Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG Brazil) was officially established in 2006. In 2014, ASG Brazil expanded its team by establishing a dedicated secretariat (ASG Brazil team). Since then, ASG Brazil has actively contributed to numerous conservation initiatives, including organizing events and developing action plans (see Regional Core activities).
Although ASG Brazil’s efforts are directly connected to the Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), we have tailored our core principles to meet the specific needs and challenges of amphibian conservation in Brazil. To enhance our impact, we also have restructured our approach and initiatives into three key thematic areas: (1) Biodiversity Assessments, (2) Amphibian Recovery, and (3) Stakeholder Relations. These thematic areas encompass a variety of programs, projects, and initiatives designed to help achieve ASG Brazil’s conservation goals (see ASG Brazil website for more details).
Regional Core Principles
- Mission: To promote the conservation of Brazilian amphibians by integrating information and connecting people to design, develop and implement conservation strategies, involving the protection of species and their habitats.
- Vision: A sustainable future for all Brazilian amphibians
- Values: Commitment, Ethics, Transparency, Respect
Core Activities
ANFoCO: The Brazilian Symposium on Amphibian Conservation (ANFoCO) is a recurring event organized by ASG Brazil. Rather than serving as a conventional symposium, ANFoCO focuses on developing practical plans to address key conservation challenges. Each ANFoCO edition aims to foster collaboration and build lasting networks.
ANFoCO past editions:
- 2018: Held at the São Paulo Zoo (São Paulo, Brazil) and addressed five central themes: Public Policies, Education and Environmental Awareness, New Approaches and Technology, Applied Research, and Conservation Strategies. To promote gender equality and encourage emerging professionals, ASG Brazil honored 13 women with the Bertha Lutz Prize and three early-career professionals with the Young Conservationist Prize for their contributions to amphibian conservation.
- 2019: Held during the 9th Brazilian Congress of Herpetology (Campinas, Brazil). Discussions focused on three key topics: environmental studies on anthropogenic activities, with the formulation of a unified national Terms of Reference; impact of pesticides, enhancing research and proposing national policies; and science communication tools.
- 2021: Conducted remotely under the theme: Where are we, why are we, and where do we want to go? The symposium explored species threats, protection strategies, and available tools for conservation, especially for species requiring ex situ efforts.
Conservation Needs Assessments (CNA): In collaboration with Amphibian Ark and RAN/ICMBio, ASG Brazil coordinates Brazil’s first CNA workshop 2020. Conducted online, the workshop assessed 67 threatened amphibian species with input from over 60 assessors from academia and government agencies.
PECAns: ASG Brazil is actively developing Brazilian Amphibian Conservation Strategic Plans (PECAns) for threatened species. These plans unite stakeholders to collaboratively discuss species conservation strategies and threat mitigation. In the short and medium term, ASG Brazil aims to create a PECAn for each “high priority” species identified by the CNA. Two PECAns were published in 2023: one for Nyctimantis pomba and another for Pithecopus rusticus.
Communication team: ASG Brazil’s communication team plays a vital role in amplifying our conservation efforts by managing communication channels. A strong communication strategy supports our mission to integrate knowledge and build community. Through platforms such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Linkedin, and our official website, we share updates, research, events, and opportunities for engagement.
IUCN Redlist: The Redlist Authority oversees the Global Amphibian Assessment for Brazilian species. Brazil was recognized in the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA2) as the most amphibian-rich country globally, with approximately 1,200 species, nearly one-third of which had not yet been assessed by 2022. The two-year evaluation involving 86 experts from academia, and NGOs, revealed a rise in threatened species, from 37 in 2004 to 189 in 2022. Since the 1980s, 26 species are considered possibly extinct. The next cycle, the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA3 – 2024 to 2029), will assess around 500 species, including those recently described.
Collaborative Activities: ASG Brazil members actively contributed to external initiatives. Individual members participate in governmental action plan workshops led by RAN/ICMBio (National Center for Research and Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians of Chico Mendes Institute), contributing expertise on anuran species/group and/or conservation methodology. Additionally, we assist in workshops for the national and state Red Lists.
Next steps
ASG Brazil plans to broaden its activities and deepen its impact on amphibian conservation nationwide. The group remains open to continuously updating its regional membership list, welcoming both active and consultative members eager to contribute to the group’s actions. For further details on our activities, visit ASG Brazil website: http://www.asgbr.org.