Historic

The Augusto Ruschi Memorial was designed by Marilande Angeli, wife of Augusto Ruschi, over more than 3 decades of work dedicated to the Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão, having been founded on June 3, 2020, exactly 34 years after the death of Augusto Ruschi (†03/06/1986), by the couple's son, Piero A. Ruschi - a biologist specializing in hummingbirds.

Piero lived a long face-to-face journey inside the Prof. Mello Leitão, from when he lived there with his parents, through his childhood playing at treating animals and helping researchers to developing his own research on behalf of the Museum.

Between 2014 and 2017, while studying for a PhD in Zoology at the National Museum / UFRJ (Rio de Janeiro) in partnership with the University of California / Berkeley (USA), Piero experienced absurd situations that he only knew through stories. In the Rio de Janeiro capital, the young biologist discovered that, in fact, there are haters of the Patron of Ecology of Brazil within the Brazilian scientific community. And in Espírito Santo, inside the Mello Leitão Museum, Piero discovered that the works left by his father were being planned to be dismantled. At first, the young man sought dialogue to combat the absurdities that threatened the rest of that legacy. But, after a great victory using simple words and common sense to prevent scientific collections and research from being removed from the urban area of Santa Teresa (ES), Piero began to suffer cowardly attacks hidden behind the name of the Museum that his father built, which also prevented him from continuing to carry out his voluntary research activities with the Museum.

Unaffected, the founder of Memorial Augusto Ruschi observed the situation macroscopically, seeing what really matters in this whole story: the very identity and image of Augusto Ruschi were being deformed along with his creations.

Our Mission

Honoring the memory of the Patron of Ecology of Brazil by rescuing and disseminating the truth about his history so that his true example of life inspires and serves society.

Vision

The true identity and memory of the Patron of Ecology of Brazil are little publicized in comparison to the biased narratives about Augusto Ruschi accumulated for more than 30 years in books, websites, teaching and research institutions. This means that its importance for society and for the development of the country has not yet been fully understood. The Patron of Ecology of Brazil is an important figure both for the protection and for the use of the environment in our country. It is essential that his history and legacy be disclosed so that we can better understand his role in the conscious development of the country. With this information, we can learn from their experience and continue to make progress towards a more prosperous future for Brazilians.

Goals

Develop independent and collaborative projects for:

  • Compile, produce and disseminate reliable information about Augusto Ruschi and the cultural legacy that he left to society;

  • Compile, produce and disseminate information on Brazilian biodiversity;

  • Elucidate confusing, obscure, distorted or false information about Augusto Ruschi and his legacy;

  • Add in projects aimed at the economic, social, civil and environmental development of the Brazilian nation.

Operandi Modes

The way we operate is inspired by Augusto Ruschi's own values, which were based on strong morality and solid virtues such as honesty and integrity. We share these values and work to protect life. We believe that the truth is fundamental and we strive to always be transparent and fair in all our actions and decisions. In this way, we seek to honor Ruschi's legacy and continue to inspire others to follow in his footsteps in favor of a Brazil that always holds its environmental biodiversity, with its increasingly prosperous people and its increasingly developed economy.

Founder

Piero Angeli Ruschi

Specialist in Hummingbirds; holds a Phd and a Master's in Zoology from the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences from Escola Superior São Francisco de Assis.

“I know my father well, the work he did and the legacy he left. He deserves honor, he deserves truth, he deserves to be treated in the same virtuous way that he defended the rights of society and nature. The Augusto Ruschi Memorial does not appear to do punitive justice to those who somehow parasitize or deform its image or legacy. Just as there will always be good, there will always be evil. The Augusto Ruschi Memorial only brings the truth about the great man who was our Patron of Ecology. I recognize my father less and less amidst the dissimulations and post-truths about him that I see around. The filth that stained the last 34 years of the legacy he left continues to accumulate and overshadow his image today. They are like dirty glasses, distorting logic and deforming the Patronus' own personal identity. It deserves to be fully known by future generations to serve it. This is what the Memorial does through the truth – justice to the honor of Augusto Ruschi. I'm sure that Brazilians will be positively surprised when they learn the truth about the Patron of Ecology!"