The Johansen da Silva family (in Latin, da Silva means "from the forest").

The Johansen da Silva family in Amazonia 2000.

Jeanette Johansen da Silva in Xingu Park, Amazonia, with kids from the Kamayura tribe in 1994.

The family members and expedition crew

Leo Zen is the youngest crew member. The three year old boy was born in Oslo, Norway.  He has been in Amazonia two times, and has also travelled to the desert of Al Lain, in the United Arab Emirates. He speaks Norwegian and understands and speaks a few words in Portuguese. Being a young boy, Leo is very fascinated by Indians and therefore looks forward to play with young Indian boys in the forest

Zoe Amber is five years old, and also born in Oslo, Norway. She has been to Amazon three times, has lived one year in London, and despite her young age she has travelled to various parts of the world. She speaks Norwegian, and manages a few words and expressions in English and Portuguese. Being interested in animals, Zoe is especially looking forward to seeing baby turtles and the funny monkeys.

Jeanette is 30 years old, also from Oslo, Norway. She is a Social Anthropologist graduated at the University of Oslo and has also studied/lived in Japan, Brazil, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom. She did her masters in Anthropology of Development at SOAS, University of London, and wrote her thesis on Environmental Management based on fieldwork in the Amazon. She lived in the Amazon in 1995, and has been travelling back and forth to the region since then. She speaks Portuguese, and since 1995 she has been part of a team engaged in developing an international interdisciplinary course on forest issues, in cooperation with the Federal University of Para, in the Amazon, and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. At present, she works at the University of Oslo as a consultant on international education. 

Carlos Caju is an expert in Amazonia issues. Old enough, as he says about his age, he is a Brazilian citizen residing in Oslo since 1997, and one among very few who has had access to some of the most remote areas of the Amazon region. His unique experiences in this region started during his military service in the Brazilian Air Force in the Amazon, where he was privileged to have belonged to the elite group of Parachutist for Search and Rescue (PARA-SAR), a group of experts in survival skills for missions in the jungle and the sea.

This led him into contact with various indigenous tribes, who had friendly relationship with the rescue group, and taught them survival skills in the extreme difficult living conditions. Later, he decided to become a journalist, committed himself as an environmentalist, and use his first-hand knowledge to influence international governments’ decisions and educate people concerning Amazonia. Caju holds a Bachelor degree in Social Communication from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a Master in Environmental Issues in Latin America, from the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London.

He is now writing a thesis (hovedoppgaven), on “Media and Elite in Brazil”, as a final stage for another Master degree, this time in Media and Communication at the University of Oslo, where he has also studied Peace Research, International Relations and Foreign Policies,  and Energy Planning and Sustainable Development. He has also been a guest lecturer on Tropical Forest issues at various Universities, including in Oslo.

Caju started his journalist career in 1989, and since 1992 he has been working for numerous media in Brazil and abroad. He has especially been engaged in environmental journalism, and has covered the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Rio92, for the Norwegian daily Vårt Land, and the UN Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa 2002, to various media.

 Caju has led various Brazilian and foreign expeditions, and has also supported researchers, musicians, diplomats, TV groups and many travellers in the Amazon.  Various Scandinavian travellers who have been in the Amazon have mentioned Caju’s support in their books (i.e. Norwegian Hoff family, Norwegian sailors “Sorgenfri”, Danish explorers “Famile på Farten”).

Caju has made videos and various photo documentaries on the Amazon issues, including monkey killings in indigenous reserves, and street kids in a desperate struggle to survive in the urban Amazon. Since 1998, he has led various social and environmental projects with youth in Norway, particularly refugees and immigrants, in cooperation with organizations such as Antirasistisk Senter, and Norsk Folkehjelp.