On Tuesday (10), the IBGE held a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the IBGE Ecological Reserve (RECOR), a Conservation Area and research center located in Brasília, which has become a national and international reference in the production of knowledge about the Cerrado and biodiversity. The event brought together civil servants, authorities, specialists and collaborators who have marked the area's trajectory over half a century.

The event was presented by José Daniel Castro da Silva, coordinator of the Center for Information Documentation and Dissemination (CDDI/CCS), and by Leandro Malavota, from the IBGE Memory Division, responsible for moderating the panels.

The president of the IBGE, Marcio Pochmann, highlighted that RECOR is one of the most relevant research environments dedicated to the Cerrado, essential for long-term environmental studies, biodiversity monitoring and educational actions.

He emphasized that the reserve corroborates with the IBGE's mission by producing fundamental information for territorial planning and public policies focused on the environment. "It is essential that every IBGE civil servant recognizes that this reserve is part of the institution (...) we are experiencing a historical time shift in relation to artificial intelligence and data use, and we need to advance in predictive policies – which presuppose acting not on the consequences, but above all on the causes. The future has always been something of dispute; it is not predetermined. Organized and planned human action is what allows us to build what we imagine, and we are protagonists of what is underway," he reflected.

According to Leandro Malavota, the event symbolizes an opportunity for reconnection between different generations of civil servants: “This is an opportunity to welcome and honor the servants who were part of the IBGE and helped build these 50 years of history of the Ecological Reserve. But it is also a chance to prepare for the changing of the guard, discussing this history with the new servants, who have much to contribute enriching the institution's work. We want to foster the debate about the present, past, and future,” he emphasized.

The celebration began with the launch of the book “IBGE Ecological Reserve – Volume 2,” a work that brings together studies, historical records, and accounts of projects conducted at the reserve. The panel included the RECOR manager and organizer of the publication, Mauro Lambert Ribeiro, biodiversity analyst Leonardo Bergamini, and consultant in environmental, territorial, cultural, and transportation planning projects, Mônica Veríssimo dos Santos.

Mr. Lambert highlighted that the new volume consolidates institutional commitments and updates essential information on biodiversity: “The second volume is part of a work that synthesizes all the knowledge produced by the IBGE. The first volume was launched in 2011. We were already a well-established Conservation Area and a well-established information-producing base, but the content was scattered throughout national and international literature. We sought to synthesize it,” explained the organizer.

At the same panel, Mônica Veríssimo spoke about the internationally recognized role of RECOR: “The Reserve is part of the Biosphere Reserve, a territory linked to an international UNESCO program. This represents the dialogues of the Brazilian international agenda in terms of biodiversity conservation, knowledge generation, and the union between science and society,” said the researcher, highlighting the historical importance of the reserve and the strategic role it plays in environmental monitoring and in supporting long-term research.

Mr. Lambert also emphasized the challenges facing the area's future: “The great challenge will be maintaining the integrity of the Reserve, which is beginning to be surrounded by cities, so that it continues to be a source of information about the Cerrado. We want to understand the new information demands of society. Conserving biodiversity has been our mission—a difficult, but rewarding mission. We have already provided 170 studies to ground public policies over time, but new demands will arise. If we know how to handle these challenges well, we will be an area with a bigger future than our past,” he claimed.

The second part of the ceremony included the participation of the superintendent of SES/DF IBGE, Gabriel Moreira Antonaccio. He spoke about the scientific and educational legacy of the reserve: “The history of the Reserve is very beautiful, one of great dedication. The legacy left is important both in scientific terms and in terms of education and environmental preservation. This year we had the creation of a working group that will define the integration of the Reserve with IBGE from now on,” he highlighted.

Next, Mariza Alves de Macedo Pinheiro, a geoprocessing analyst, offered a poetic reflection on RECOR's trajectory: “I see the Reserve as a young lady who knows where she came from, but who is always open to innovation and committed to the future. The Reserve teaches us that research is not just about method—it's about partnership and relationships. This is built in everyday life and daily interaction. We hope to consolidate and expand our partnerships, expand our collections, and continue contributing to public policies that are based on solid information.”

Partners of RECOR

Following this, Mr. Silva presented a session dedicated to environmental partnerships, which brought together experts such as Professor Dr. Mercedes Bustamante and Professor Dr. Roberto Cavalcanti, both from the University of Brasília. Representatives from the public sector were also present, including Carolina Schubart, coordinator of the PPCIF (Forest Fire Fighting Program) of the Secretariat of the Environment of the Federal District, and Allan Freire, Executive Director of the Brasília Botanical Garden. The guests spoke about the Reserve's contribution to understanding the Cerrado biome, combating forest fires, and designing conservation policies.

Mercedes Bustamante emphasized the global impact of the data generated by RECOR: “The data produced at the IBGE Reserve have reached the world. The first carbon dynamics data were generated here and are part of the national inventory of greenhouse gases.” The researcher also highlighted the Fire Project, which supported the integrated fire management policy. “These initiatives contribute to Brazilian science and public policies. The Reserve is a jewel, a patrimony of Brazilian science. It consolidated information about the Cerrado and gave Brazil information for the debate on sustainable development,” he emphasized.

After the speeches, a symbolic act took place: book “IBGE Ecological Reserve – Volume 2” was given to volunteer firefighter Bento da Silva Barros and the former manager of the reserve, Iracema Gonzales.

Tribute to civil servants

In a moment of great emotion, the IBGE paid tribute to civil servants Manoel José de Souza Neto and Valmir de Souza e Silva, who died in an action to combat a fire that threatened the Reserve. The activities included the reading of a poem by José Daniel Castro da Silva, followed by a minute of silence. A video produced by COMAR recorded the installation of plaques in homage to the deceased servants and the tree planting action carried out with their families. A commemorative plaque and a work of art were also presented to firefighter Bento da Silva Barros, a survivor of the fire.