"Popular culture increasingly engages with climate change and ecological crises, impacting public perception. In Brazil, television, streaming, and film have notably engaged with societal trends. This article examines the first season of a limited series, Aruanas (2019–2021), a Brazilian eco-melodrama featuring four female environmental advocates confronting Amazonian extractivism. Produced by Globo TV in response to far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro's attacks on environmental activists and NGOs, Aruanas aims to raise environmental awareness and inspire action among viewers. The series, created in collaboration with environmental NGOs, has received critical acclaim and commercial success. Through a qualitative close reading, this article explores how Aruanas intertwines ecomedia and ecopedagogy, demonstrating how melodramatic storytelling can effectively engage audiences and address governmental hostility towards environmental activism."

- Dr. Jessica Carey-Webb