Texas — The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has announced the 44-rider field for the 2025 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals in Corpus Christi where competitors will vie for the Velocity Tour Championship Brazilian rider Afonso Quintino currently leads the standings with Bob Mitchell in second place and reigning champion Grayson Cole sitting sixth with a chance to make history as the first-ever back-to-back Velocity Tour Champion The field features five riders currently ranked in the top 20 of the 2025 PBR World Championship race who returns as the defending Velocity Tour Finals Event Champion who is competing in just his second event of 2025 after breaking his femur in November The championship event at American Bank Center Arena culminates a successful season that welcomed more than 362,000 fans and featured 18 sold-out event days Riders will compete for their share of the $100,000 event purse with a maximum of 320 Velocity Global points available The Velocity Tour Finals represents the final opportunity for five riders to qualify for the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast which will feature a three-stage format beginning with Eliminations in Fort Worth followed by the Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington with a last-chance Ride For Redemption for those who don't advance directly Afonso Quintino (Sao Luis dos Montes Belos Jean Carlos Teodoro (Mirante Do Paranapanema This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page the 2025 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals will take over American Bank Center Arena May 2-3 8 seconds is all it takes to become a legend the black lion tamarin was declared critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species It was a dire situation: only an estimated 100 were left in the wild gradually became the protagonist of a success story — so much so that it has turned into a symbol of conservation in Brazil’s São Paulo state In 2008, its conservation status was upgraded to “endangered,” the category in which it remains to this day The species has made it through the worst thanks to the Black Lion Tamarin Conservation program founded in 1984 and headed since 2011 by biologist Gabriela Rezende The initiative encompasses scientific research environmental education and forest restoration Rezende is a researcher at the Institute for Ecological Research (known by its Portuguese acronym Ipê) and one of six winners of the Whitley Award in 2020 the biggest environmental conservation award in the world given by the Whitley Fund for Nature in the U.K has been postponed this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic but the winners will still receive the prize money that comes with the award to use on their projects and resisting within a region of heavy agricultural activity the black lion tamarin has always been most threatened by forest fragmentation which isolates populations and results in their decline This is why conservationists have pursued a strategy of creating forest corridors connecting stretches of the Atlantic Forest in Pontal do Paranapanema The £40,000 ($50,000) Whitley Award will help establish these corridors and a management plan to prevent genetic inbreeding among the tamarins that are isolated in small areas “We’re going to move the animals to forests where they are not currently found,” Rezende says “When we provide more space for this population they tend to reproduce and occupy new areas.” In planning the corridors, Rezende took into account forests that needed restoration based on the Brazilian Forest Code The code requires that 20% of private properties be designated as legal reserves and the re-establishment of permanent preservation areas (PPAs) “We began the restoration and designed the corridors in the landscape so that the fragments would be connected,” Rezende says will connect the black lion tamarin populations in a continuous forest area of about 45,000 hectares (111,000 acres) The so-called North Corridor is already underway and should connect six forest fragments to the north of Morro do Diabo State Park we’ll have connected all the populations of Pontal do Paranapanema,” Rezende says “Once we’re able to allow the animal to use the entire area we would be close to our goal: to once again upgrade the species’ conservation status on the Red List.” The forest restoration process is a long-term strategy “We have registered several species in the restored corridor But we have yet to register the black lion tamarin which has additional demands regarding the structure of the forest before occupying these areas,” Rezende says She estimates it will take five to 10 years to complete the restoration of all the planned corridors the forest will still need another 10 to 20 years to take on a functional structure that serves for the black lion tamarin’s complete use Hence the importance of the animals’ movement according to the management plan which will accelerate the process by allowing them to occupy forest fragments that are currently connected and suitable for use but still empty The Black Lion Tamarin Conservation program began in 1984 with primatologist Claudio Padua who moved to Pontal de Paranapanema years earlier with the objective of researching these animals with the construction of the Rosana hydroelectric dam underway on the Paranapanema River animals were being rescued from the area that was about to be flooded The program gave rise to the Institute for Ecological Research and “Everyone who works with endangered species dreams of seeing the animals with enough areas to form a viable population Padua attributes the program’s success to persistence: “Everything that I’ve seen work so far was because someone persisted until they succeeded.” He says he also considers a greater balance in the relationship between humans and nature essential “Human beings need to understand that they are part of nature It’s a good time for us to be discussing this.” Padua says he sees environmental education as an important ally When he first came to the area to begin his work he used to ask people what good things they had there Most people told him all they had was forest the residents started to say: I’m very proud of what we have here This is our survival and the rest of the biodiversity’s survival,” he says The conservation program also maintains nine tree nurseries administered by the community and managed by Ipê with its local partners: city halls and other institutions The nurseries are located within the black lion tamarin’s conservation area and span the three municipalities of Teodoro Sampaio Mirante do Paranapanema and Euclides da Cunha Paulista Some of the seedlings they produce are used in the new ecological corridors Responsible for establishing a bridge between the research teams and the communities environmental educator Maria das Graças de Souza sees the nurseries as spaces for collective learning: they provide knowledge income generation and conservation awareness “Students from local schools know the species that are forested and those that are part of the diet of the fauna being studied,” she says The restoration of vegetation in degraded areas not only benefits the black lion tamarin, but also big cats and mammals, such as the Brazilian tapir. Recognized for her work to conserve the tapir, Patrícia Medici was honored this year with the Whitley Gold Award the main prize given by the Whitley Fund for Nature Rezende says it’s important to use the role of charismatic species to leverage conservation projects She says she’s motivated to keep fighting for the black lion tamarin “The tamarin is unable to do anything to save its own species are the ones who are destroying their environment,” she says when I got the opportunity to see this animal in the wild I felt partly responsible for its future.”  Banner image of a family of black lion tamarins in the trees of the Pontal do Paranapanema region Image courtesy of the Institute for Ecological Research (Ipê) This story was first reported by Mongabay’s Brazil team and published here on our Brazil site on June 25 The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Texas — The Professional Bull Riders are back for the fourth consecutive season in Corpus Christi with 44 riders competing for a share of the $100,000 purse at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals a $50,000 purse awaits the season champion and five riders will earn a berth for the PBR World Finals: Unleash the Beast - Eliminations the top 15 riders have a chance to win it all in what officials describe as the closest standings in recent memory 44 riders will be competing in Corpus Christi Two-time World Finals qualifier Wyatt Rogers will be making his third appearance in Corpus Christi His last trip to the Coastal Bend was in 2022 great times and being able to enjoy yourself it's just a ton of fun and the best life I could live," Rogers said Rogers has drawn Cutting Edges Bandit as his bull The Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour starts Friday Tickets are still available and start at $15 Tickets can be purchased online at PBR.comand Ticketmaster.com at the American Bank Center Arena Box Office or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727 Season tickets providing the best seats inside American Bank Center Arena with daily access to the PBR Velocity Tour Finals (May 2-3) and Rodeo Corpus Christi (May 6-10) can be purchased at BucDays.com The complete list of qualifiers is:Afonso Quintino (Sao Luis dos Montes Belos California)Grayson Cole (New Ringgold Brazil)Joao Lucas Campos (Porto Feliz Arizona)Bruno Carvalho (Alvares Florence Brazil)Lucas Fideles Souza (Barnstable Massachusetts)Manoelito de Souza Junior (Itamira North Carolina)Guilherme Valleiras (Pirassununga Brazil)Jean Fernandes Pereira (Crixas Texas)Jean Carlos Teodoro (Mirante Do Paranapanema Brazil)Carlos Andre de Oliveira (Ipameri California)Jeferson Silva (Pontese Laverda Brazil)Anderson de Oliveira (Novo Mundo Brazil)Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (Colorado A software tool developed by a company supported by FAPESP raises productivity and lowers operating costs in the bioenergy sector Agência FAPESP – iSystems has implemented Leaf a software tool based on artificial intelligence (AI) one of Brazil’s leading producers of biofuels focuses on control and optimization of industrial processes to raise productivity save resources and reduce their environmental impact Developed with support from FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE), Leaf deploys AI to identify trends and patterns as a decision-making aid, and to minimize failures and maximize efficiency in manufacturing (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/17230) Through integration with Atvos’s automation system Leaf assures sophisticated real-time process control at Unidade Conquista do Pontal (UCP) the company’s sugar and ethanol plant in Mirante do Paranapanema Benefits have been detected in co-generation yielding significant results for the plant Optimization of co-generation raised the efficiency of electricity production from biomass automation and enhanced control led to higher levels of sugar extraction and a reduction in raw water consumption Advanced automation also raised distillation efficiency and quality while integration with Leaf in processes had a positive impact on the plant’s overall productivity as evidenced by the rise in corrected sugar yield (CSY) “The partnership between Atvos and iSystems has contributed to an increase in industrial efficiency, thanks to the implementation of innovative technology. It also reinforces our joint commitment to sustainability, drives transformation of the bioenergy market and promotes the adoption of more sustainable practices throughout the sugar and ethanol industry,” said Danilo Halla implementation of the solution developed by iSystems has improved security by detecting anomalies at an early stage and constantly monitoring security parameters The company’s experience in the sugar and ethanol industry combined with the enhancements provided by this advanced technology has also resulted in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions Pitanga later sold its stake in the firm to Ambev iSystems has received capital injections from Endeavor Investments and industry giants an AI-based demand forecasting solution that contributes to more accurate and shorter planning cycles through gains in efficiency and agile machine learning Texas – At the 86th iteration of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Stockyards Showcase inside the iconic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth Brazil) went a perfect 2-for-2 to win the event title Jesus finished second in the opening round courtesy of an 83.5-point outing aboard Zero Time (Mike Johnson) the Brazilian cruised out of the chutes on CMSR 11H (Stockyards Pro Rodeo) for a Round 2-winning 85.5 points to catapult into the lead The victory netted Jesus a critical 59 Velocity Global points The only other rider to cover both his animal athlete opponents was Lucas Martins Costa (Frutal who finished second after winning the event the previous weekend Costa rode Viducic 2122 (Viducic Bucking Bulls) for 82.5 points in Round 1 and Heavy Lifting (Stockyards Pro Rodeo/Winston/Melton Bull Co) for 85 points in the final round The silver finish secured Costa 45 Velocity Global points The final spot on the podium belonged to Wyatt Rogers (Hulbert Rogers posted an event-high 86.5 points atop Viducic 121 (Viducic Bucking Bulls) to win the opening round the Oklahoman rocketed out of the chutes on Crash Cart (Stockyards Pro Rodeo/Winston/Melton Bull Co) in Round 2 but was bucked off after a heart-pounding 6.74 seconds The veteran cowboy left Cowtown Coliseum with 26 Velocity Global points In fourth place was Jean Carlos de Souza (Mirante Do Paranapanema covering Oyster Bay (Mike Johnson) for 81.5 points but he was bucked off by Western Haulers Starburst (Stockyards Pro Rodeo) in 3.57 seconds in the final round to end his quest for the event buckle Souza took home 18 Velocity Global points for his efforts Thursday evening The final ride of the night belonged to Manoelito de Souza Junior (Itamira Junior hung on to Moonshine (Mike Johnson) for 77.5 points in Round 1 but was bested by CMSR 121 (Stockyards Pro Rodeo) in 4.26 seconds in Round 2 The 1-for-2 performance garnered the Brazilian cowboy 14 Velocity Global points Velocity Global points contribute to the Velocity Global Standings and determine which new riders are added to the elite Unleash The Beast throughout the season The Top 3 Velocity Global riders who have not already qualified are also invited to the PBR World Finals in May Bad Magic (Stockyards Pro Rodeo/Winston/Melton Bull Co) was marked 44 points for his 2.39-second buckoff of Andy Bohl (St Florida) to take home the Bull of the Event title The PBR Stockyards Showcase returns on Thursday Action inside Cowtown Coliseum will get underway at 7:30 p.m PBR Touring Pro DivisionPBR Stockyards ShowcaseCowtown Coliseum – Fort Worth TexasEvent Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)1 Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media