A Message from the Sponsor

Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Garden has existed for 198 years. Throughout this period research has never ceased, such that its herbarium contains studies on 450 thousand specimens of Brazilian flora. Each of these studies is an immeasurable source of information about the country’s biodiversity, and a vital point of reference for our history and culture.

Now the Botanical Garden is initiating the process of digitization of this material. This will not only preserve the formidable heritage collected across the span of almost two centuries, but also provide a much more agile, safe and efficient means of consulting this wealth of information.
The objective is to complete the task in four years, thus consolidating the institution’s status as a leader in the study of Brazilian flora.

This project – as necessary as it is bold – is sponsored by Petrobras, Brazil’s largest corporation and the greatest patron of the arts and culture in our country.

Since its foundation a little more than a half century ago, the mission of Petrobras has been to contribute towards Brazil’s development. In other words, our commitment, undertaken in the past and fulfilled each day, is to the future.

This is why we make a special effort to support projects which revive and preserve our memory and our heritage, thus providing us with a greater and deeper knowledge of our country’s journey through history.

The Botanical Garden is a pillar and an example of the pioneer spirit of those who study of the scientific nature of our country, who enable us to better comprehend the reality of our legacy. Preserving this heritage and making it widely available are essential tasks.