SES 2026 Ambassador
Mario Henrique Ferreira Alexandre
Graduando em Gestão Ambiental na USP Leste. Juventude pela Floresta Amazônica, transição justa e cidades sustentáveis.
I am an environmental management student committed to the human right to a clean and healthy environment. With a background in Indigenous affairs, I work to protect the Amazon Rainforest and empower its communities through heartfelt volunteer action. Inspired by nature, education, music, and faith, I embrace the power of diverse knowledge systems. As an SES 2025 Ambassador, I strive to bridge science, local knowledge, and human connection to foster climate justice and sustainable energy futures.
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I am an Environmental Management student at the University of São Paulo (USP), deeply committed to the human right to a clean and healthy environment. With a background in Indigenous affairs and youth environmental leadership, I work to protect the Amazon Rainforest and uplift its people through heartfelt volunteer action.
My journey began in 2022, when I earned a seat at my city’s technical school for Environmental Studies, driven by the vision of a world where every community can thrive in harmony with nature. That same year, I received a scholarship for pre-college research at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC). There, I first learned about Indigenous communities living within São Paulo’s metropolitan region and the environmental challenges they face. This experience inspired me to lead school exhibitions in 2023 celebrating Indigenous cultures.
In 2024, I led my school’s science club, where we developed a permaculture project for climate action and created educational content on climate, pollution, and sustainable development. Drawn to environmental diplomacy, I participated in UNEP negotiations on chemicals, waste, and pollution in 2025. Today, I facilitate learning journeys for youth to the Amazon with Movimento Refloresta, an experience that has deepened my connection with the biome and its communities, making my life purpose even clearer.
On a personal note, I am a hobby cellist and passionate reader. Inspired by nature, education, music, and faith, I embrace the power of diverse knowledge systems. As an SES 2025 Ambassador, I strive to bridge science, local wisdom, and human connection to foster climate justice and sustainable energy futures.
I joined a journey to the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve (State of Pará) with the NGO Movimento Refloresta, dedicated to uplifting the Amazon. I proudly helped build the first playground in the riverine village of Anã, which became a vibrant gathering space for children and families. Today, I continue to volunteer with the project as a facilitator of journeys. Our work centers on community-based restoration and cultural exchange, strengthening resilience among both local communities and the young people who walk alongside them.
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In January 2025, I embarked on my first journey to the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve (Pará, Brazil), the fourth organized by Movimento Refloresta – an NGO that connects young people with Amazonian communities through collective learning and hands-on projects. I discovered the initiative on social media and instantly felt that the invitation was not just a project, but a calling.
During the journey, I contributed to a puxirum (a local term for a community-led effort), where villagers and volunteers came together to build the first playground in the riverside village of Anã. I worked on the construction and helped document the process through photography. More than a structure, the playground became a lively gathering space and a lasting gift from one generation to the next.
On the day of the puxirum, the feelings of belonging and mutual care that had developed throughout the journey suddenly materialized before our eyes. That day, I learned how to prepare and braid straw, which soon formed the roof over the children’s heads. We saw how people, when united by a common purpose and respect for the land, can create something extraordinary – swiftly and with heart.
Between March and June, I participated in Refloresta’s Guardians training to further develop my facilitation skills. I now serve as a bridge between sponsors, local needs, and youth. As a Guardian, I help facilitate dialogue and presence, co-host activities and reflection circles, and coordinate new projects based on feedback from the communities.
