Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado

What Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado does

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado (AMLD) is a Brazilian non-profit conservation organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Silva Jardim, Rio de Janeiro. It operates as the long-standing coordinator of the National Action Plan for the golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), an endangered primate endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro state. The organization employs roughly 23 staff and runs programs in protected-area management, reforestation, wildlife health (notably yellow fever vaccination of tamarins), environmental education, and community engagement. It also maintains a broader portfolio of fauna and flora recovery efforts across more than 40,000 hectares of forest in the União Biological Reserve and adjacent corridors.

AMLD's operating model blends on-the-ground conservation delivery with a partnership-and-grant financing structure. It coordinates a network of more than 100 participating rural landowners across 35,000+ hectares of connected habitat, supported by partner nurseries producing native seedlings for reforestation. Revenue is generated through diversified streams including institutional grants, individual donations, ecotourism activities at its Poço das Antas reserve and visitor center, environmental compensation and consulting services to private companies (e.g., ExxonMobil, Comperj/Itaboraí pipeline projects), and collaborative research partnerships with zoos, universities, and government agencies. Notable partners include The Walt Disney Company (the "Long Hope" initiative and ambassador animal program), Philadelphia Zoo, Smithsonian, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, KfW/German Development Cooperation, and ICMBio/Chico Mendes Institute.

The organization's technical capabilities center on field conservation science: GPS-collared monitoring of wild tamarin groups, vegetation corridors linking forest fragments, a capture-and-vaccinate pipeline developed with the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro to mitigate yellow fever outbreaks (the first such program of its kind), and experimental infrastructure including a vegetated overpass to reduce wildlife road mortality on a major highway. Its outputs are documented through peer-reviewed publications (e.g., Scielo, PLoS ONE) and ongoing population censuses that show golden lion tamarin numbers recovered from approximately 200 individuals in the 1970s to roughly 4,800 by 2023. Ecotourism serves as both a revenue source and a soft-power tool for community buy-in to conservation, alongside the "MICOnsciência" citizen-science platform.

Name

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado

Legal name

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado

Website

https://micoleao.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado is a Brazilian non-profit founded in 1992 that coordinates the conservation of the endangered golden lion tamarin across the Atlantic Forest, managing habitat restoration, wildlife health programs, ecotourism, and a network of 100+ partnering rural landowners in Rio de Janeiro state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Preparedness & Animal Evacuation Services (BPAGAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Endangered species protection
• Forest restoration programs
• Environmental education
• Ecotourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Silva Jardim

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individuals: Monthly donation program with tiers at R$20, R$50, R$100, and R$500 per month. Also accepts one-time donations via PagSeguro and PIX.
2. Environmental Compensation Services: Provides forest restoration services to private companies requiring environmental compensation for licensing requirements.
3. Ecotourism Revenue: Revenue generated from visitor park (Parque Ecológico Mico-Leão-Dourado) visits, including guided 'Na Trilha do Mico' monkey observation tours. All proceeds reinvested in conservation programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado (AMLD) is a non-profit conservation organization that protects the golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) and its Atlantic Forest habitat in Rio de Janeiro state. It delivers metapopulation monitoring, forest restoration and connectivity infrastructure, a wildlife yellow fever vaccination program, environmental education, community agroforestry, and ecotourism through the Ecological Park. Activities are funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado (AMLD) is a non-profit conservation organization, not a technology company. It does not offer a software product or platform. Instead, AMLD provides a portfolio of conservation and environmental services including: an ecological park with tourism and wildlife observation activities; environmental education programs for teachers and youth; forest restoration services creating ecological corridors; wildlife population management and monitoring; a yellow fever vaccination program for golden lion tamarins; a network of native plant nurseries supporting family agriculture; and various conservation projects including the GEF Áreas Privadas initiative, Project Dragonfly educational expeditions, and the MICOnsciência citizen science network. These services collectively work toward the conservation of the golden lion tamarin species and the Atlantic Forest ecosystem in Rio de Janeiro state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEF Áreas Privadas: Project implemented by AMLD focusing on sustainable landscape management and biodiversity conservation in private areas within the Mata Atlântica
• Parque Ecológico Mico-Leão-Dourado
• MICOnsciência

Products and services

• Parque Ecológico Mico-Leão-Dourado (Ecological Park) An ecological park in Silva Jardim, RJ offering guided visits, hiking trails, wildlife observation tours ('Na Trilha do Mico'), and environmental education experiences focused on the golden lion tamarin and Atlantic Forest conservation. Open Thursday to Saturday by appointment.
• Environmental Education Program Programs including 'Redescobrindo a Mata Atlântica' teacher training, 'Guardiões da Floresta' youth environmental monitors, and 'Mico vai às ruas' external outreach activities for schools and communities.
• Forest Restoration Program Ecological corridor creation and habitat expansion through native Atlantic Forest seedling planting, supporting golden lion tamarin habitat connectivity across public and private lands.
• Metapopulation Management Program Wildlife monitoring of 19 golden lion tamarin groups and population management, including translocations to prevent inbreeding in small isolated populations.
• Yellow Fever Vaccination Program for Wildlife Wildlife vaccination initiative developed with Fiocruz Bio-Manguinhos to protect golden lion tamarins from yellow fever, having immunized over 480 animals since November 2020.
• Family Agriculture and Seedling Production Network (Rede de Viveiristas) Network of five certified native plant nurseries operated by local farming families, producing approximately 25,000 seedlings per family annually for forest restoration.
• MICOnsciência Citizen Science Network WhatsApp-based citizen science network allowing residents to report golden lion tamarin and collared sloth sightings to contribute to species mapping and protection efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Population increased from 200 in 1970s to 4,800 in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Save the Golden Lion Tamarin (SGLT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992US-based NGO co-founded by AMLD founders James and Lou Ann Dietz. Major funding partner and strategic ally in international conservation efforts for the golden lion tamarin. Co-founded by AMLD in 1992.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner since the 1970s conservation program inception. Provided scientific expertise and coordinated reintroduction of captive-born tamarins.
• ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency managing Poço das Antas and União Biological Reserves, RPPN recognition, and NGI Mico-Leão-Dourado since 2021.
• Universidade Estadual Norte Fluminense (UENF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific coordinator of the conservation program. Professor Carlos Ruiz leads metapopulation research. Hosts LABGCI knowledge management lab.
• Fiocruz Bio-ManguinhoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the yellow fever vaccine for golden lion tamarins. Dr. Marcos Freire leads vaccine development.
• Project Dragonfly / Miami UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS university program bringing graduate students to AMLD for conservation education expeditions since 2017.
• Geladeiras CulturaisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity libraries in Varginha and Imbaú districts supporting environmental education and cultural programs.
• Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro (CPRJ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState primatology center conducting vaccine testing and supporting conservation research.
• Rede de ViveiristasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 5 family nurseries (Eukanam, Horto A2, Tropical Amizade, Marlene, Acácia Vitória Régia) producing 25,000 native seedlings annually for forest restoration.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global conservation NGO with significant Atlantic Forest and primate programs; comparable in species-and-habitat conservation approach and international donor base.
• Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade (Funbio): Brazilian biodiversity fund acting as AMLD's major financial agent and co-executing partner for conservation projects; comparable in operating role as a conservation grant intermediary and project manager.
• Fauna & Flora International: International conservation NGO with species-and-habitat programs across multiple geographies; comparable donor base and partnership profile with corporate and government funders supporting AMLD.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: International conservation organization with strong zoo partnerships (similar to AMLD's Philadelphia Zoo relationship) and field programs across multiple endangered species; comparable in combining zoo-based fundraising with in-country field conservation.
• WWF-Brasil: Larger, established conservation NGO operating across multiple Brazilian biomes and species. Several AMLD board members and partners previously held senior roles at WWF-Brasil, and both organizations work on Atlantic Forest conservation.

Others

• Rainforest Trust: International conservation organization and AMLD funding partner supporting land acquisition and protected area creation; comparable in mission to expand protected habitat for threatened species.
• Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute: Long-standing scientific partner of AMLD since the 1970s, providing reintroduction expertise and research collaboration; directly comparable in primate conservation science and a co-founder of the conservation program.
• IUCN: International conservation standards and policy body. AMLD leadership (including Executive Secretary Luís Paulo Ferraz) has coordinated IUCN programs and serves on IUCN primate specialist commissions, indicating deep governance overlap.

Direct peers

• Projeto Tamar: Brazilian non-profit dedicated to sea turtle conservation; comparable operating model as a species-focused NGO combining field conservation, community engagement, and ecotourism. AMLD's administrative coordinator previously worked at Projeto Tamar for 10 years.
• Save the Golden Lion Tamarin (SGLT): US-based NGO co-founded by AMLD's own founders (James and Lou Ann Dietz) in 1992; serves as a sister organization and major funding partner for the same golden lion tamarin conservation mission, with overlapping board membership and joint program execution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amld_oficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfaJduCSVQOh1GUn-FV9I5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/associacaomicoleaodourado
• Instagraminstagram.com/associacaomicoleaodourado
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mico-leao

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado