Botanical Research Institute Of Texas Inc

BRIT'S MISSION IS TO CONSERVE OUR NATURAL HERITAGE BY DEEPENING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLANT WORLD AND ACHIEVING PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE PLANTS BRING TO LIFE.

RESEARCH. BRIT'S RESEARCH PROGRAM IS THE FOUNDATIONAL ACTIVITY UPON WHICH THE INSTITUTE ACHIEVERS ITS MISSION. BRIT ACTS AS A CATALYST WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS GLOBALLY CHALLENGING PROBLEMS BY USING VARIOUS BOTANICAL LENSES (TAXONOMY, ECOLOGICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GENOMICS). RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY BRIT MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, SOMETIMES DIRECTLY THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS TO LIFE AND SOMETIMES INDIRECTLY THROUGH INCREASING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD WHICH ALLOWS US TO BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS OF THE PLANET.

EDUCATION. BRIT DEVELOPS AND PRESENTS NUMEROUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS COVERING VARIOUS TOPICS IN BOTANY, ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED TO VARIOUS GROUPS INCLUDING EDUCATORS, STUDENTS AND THE PUBLIC. THE BRIT SEED (SCIENCE-BASED EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION DESIGN) SCHOOL FOR EDUCATORS INSPIRES AND SUPPORTS EDUCATORS IN CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE THROUGH THE USE OF OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, NATURE AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. BRIT PROVIDES CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT COMBINE RESEARCH-BASED BEST PRACTICES WITH HANDS-ON, REAL WORLD LEARNING THROUGH OUTDOOR INQUIRY, PLACE-BASED EDUCATION AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING.

GARDEN. EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2020, THE BOTANICAL INSTITUTE OF TEXAS (BRIT) ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF FORT WORTH TO MANAGE THE FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN (FWBG). FWBG IS A 110-ACRE BOTANIC GARDEN ADJACENT TO BRIT IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS. THE GARDEN IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND CONTAINS VARIOUS HORTICULTURAL DISPLAYS INCLUDING A JAPANESE GARDEN AND A ROSE GARDEN. IN ADDITION TO INDIVIDUAL VISITATION, THE GARDEN IS ALSO USED FOR MANY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS.

COLLECTIONS. THE CORNERSTONE OF THE BOTANICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS IS ITS HERBARIUM AND BOTANICAL LIBRARY. BRIT'S HERBARIUM, A COLLECTION OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION DRIED PLANT SPECIMENS REPRESENTING MUCH OF EARTH'S PLANT DIVERSITY, IS AMONG THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES. BRIT'S COLLECTIONS-BASED RESEARCH PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES AND IS A RESOURCE FOR RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PLANT ENTHUSIASTS, GARDENERS, HOSPITALS, AND MANY OTHERS. BRIT'S PLANT COLLECTIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO HELP FULFILL OUR MISSION TO ACHIEVE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE THAT PLANTS BRING TO LIFE.PRESS. IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS DESCRIBED ON LINES 4A, 4B, AND 4C, BRIT PUBLISHES THE JOURNAL OF BOTANICAL RESEARCH OF TEXAS (JBRIT), WHICH PRESENTS RESEARCH FROM BRIT RESEARCHERS AS WELL AS LEADING RESEARCHERS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. BRIT ALSO PUBLISHES MONOGRAPHS AND BOTANICAL BOOKS SUCH AS THE ILLUSTRATED FLORA OF NORTH TEXAS AND THE ILLUSTRATED FLORA OF EAST TEXAS WHICH ARE LEADING WORKS IN BOTANICAL EDUCATION IN TEXAS.