chairs , a small rug covering the wood floor , a fireplace , and a few shelves . He has a two-burner gas camping stove for cooking and a little fridge powered by a very long power cord that ’ s connected to another house . He also finished and winterized the walls and added a chimney .
His passion for creativity also spills into his love of theater and music . Taz moved to the United States to pursue acting and the arts , and today he partners with Berkshire Music School , where he brings Brazilian music to schools and organizations around the region . He plays with musical group Berkshire Bateria and is the founder of Quarteto de Samba , sharing Brazilian culture in the Berkshires . Taz also works for Columbia County Arc , a nonprofit that provides services to people with disabilities . He works oneon-one with an autistic individual , and the two of them spend a lot of time outdoors — golfing , running , and hiking the Appalachian Trail .
The flora and fauna in the Berkshires differ greatly from Brazil , so Taz has spent a lot of time learning about the animals that are native to the Berkshires in order to track and hunt them . One animal that Alone contestants hunt frequently in Canada is the eastern gray squirrel . “ Squirrel meat is actually very good ,” he says . “ I have hunted squirrels here because I have the farm and they come and try to eat everything . I ’ m trying to control the population that ’ s become a nuisance . The meat is more lean , but you would not be able to tell the difference between squirrel and beef .”
Taz also has hunted deer . This spring , he hopes to catch wild turkeys .
“ Using a bow and arrow is much more challenging because you have to be very close to the animal , so you have to learn about that animal and their behavior to intersect ,” he explains .
These are all survival skills that he brought over from Brazil and adapted to his new home in the Berkshires . He didn ’ t plan on teaching those skills when he first moved here ; he was driven to continue his education . In Brazil , it was rare to finish high school in the town he grew up in — especially given that his girlfriend at the time got pregnant when he was 16 and gave birth to twins — but he was able to graduate , even while taking care of his two young children and working . After moving to the U . S ., his children remained with family in Brazil , but Taz says he ’ s maintained a close relationship with his kids and often has video calls with them .
He began thinking about something he had heard while living in Upstate New York — a 14-day field expedition survival course led by the Boulder Outdoor Survival School ( BOSS ) in the Utah desert . He decided to sign up for it . Taz was one of only four students in the class and was able to expand on his survival skills by learning about the desert environment . Part of that course included spending three days alone ; thankfully , he was able to eat every day due to his fishing abilities and resourcefulness . For
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Spring 2025 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 67