Welcome To BRIT

Plant to planet.®

Ever have a desire to discover? Ever have a desire to teach others what you've learned? We do - every day. By nature, that’s who we are. We’re the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, an international scientific research and learning center focused on conservation and knowledge sharing.

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Upcoming Events

BRIT Reads Book Club (ZOOM)

If you love to read and you're passionate about botany, natural history, sustainability, and other similar topics, then join us the third Monday of each month for the BRIT Reads Book Club. This informal group meets from noon - 1 pm in the Oak Conference Room at BRIT. Bring your lunch and bring a friend and come tell us what you thought about our book of the month. No time to read but still want to hear what people have to say about a particular book? No problem! We'd love to have you!

Upcoming Events
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Plants Go To War; A Botanical History of World War II (ZOOM)

Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers (ZOOM)
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Field Study Trips

Pre-K through 12th Grade

ALL ONSITE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE SUSPENDED THROUGH MAY 31st OR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

If the situation allows, we will reschedule programs for a later date. In the meantime, follow this link to enjoy online classes and activities from the GROW Education team. If you have questions or concerns, please email the following:

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Self-Guided Exploration
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GROWing Together

Family Programs

TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY, ALL IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

If the situation allows, we will reschedule programs for a later date. In the meantime, follow this link to enjoy online classes and activities from the GROW Education team. If you have questions or concerns, please email the following:

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Bella's Virtual Book & Nature Club

Little Sprouts Virtual Book & Garden Club
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Horticulture and Gardening

Sustainable by nature. 

As community leaders in plant based knowledge and education, BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden are pleased to partner with experts in the fields of horticulture and gardening to provide the public with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the plant world through a variety of classes and workshops. 

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Super Soil Biology (Parts I & II)

Compost and Compost Tea (Parts I & II)

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Recent Articles

Grace Lloyd Bascopé: Flora of Belize & Maya Research Project

by Grace Bascope
Resident Research Associate, Grace Lloyd Bascopé, talks about her summers in Blue Creek, Belize working on Flora of Belize & Maya Research Project.
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Collecting Collections; Tiana F. Rehman, BRIT Herbarium

by Brandy Watts
Tiana F. Rehman, BRIT's Herbarium Collections Manager, tells us about the many collections that compose the Herbarium. This is the first interview of the Library's new Collection Lens series, which highlights collection managers from around the world across botanical libraries and herbaria as collections move into the future.
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A Library Encircling A Herbarium

by Brandy Watts
Imagine a herbarium of just under 400,000 plant specimens in cabinets with a corresponding botany library of 40,000 books lining the periphery, along the walls of the herbarium collection accessible to researchers working in the collection. This was the design of the SMU Herbarium and Library housed on the SMU campus before moving to BRIT in 1991.
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1,000 Ascensions: Madagascar expedition

by Morgan Gostel, Ph.D.
Climb 1,000 stairs, learn 1,000 new words, see 1,000 new things, share 1,000 conversations These are all just some of the steps involved in discovering new plant species and understanding plant biodiversity – or at least they were on my most recent trip to Madagascar in search of strange and wonderful plant life. The idea of 1,000 ascensions came to me on the second day in the field, on our way to Manongarivo Special Reserve – a protected area, managed by Madagascar National Parks in northwest Madagascar. As we came closer to Manongarivo, my colleagues explained a little about the park. In Malagasy, Manongarivo literally means “go up one thousand times” which refers to low mountains and hills that make up this region. If you want to go to Manongarivo, you better be prepared to go up 1,000...
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Muir, Muir...In Our Halls

by Jessica Lane
It was 1875, and John Muir was a busy man. He was already well-known for his journeys through central and northern California. His writing was published in newspapers and magazines around the country. But he still had time to help someone else. Portrait of John Muir in about 1880 (Credit: Taber and Boyd, Wikimedia) A colleague, John Redfield, wrote to Muir asking for specimens to add to his collection. John Muir wrote back in May of 1875 and promised to collect in a few weeks. True to his word, Muir collected plant specimens in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and sent them to Redfield for study later that year. They continued to correspond about the collections and other scientific pursuits for the next few years. Dryopteris arguta specimen collected in California by John Muir in 1875 Joh...
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About BRIT

2019 BRIT Update & Vision

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Tours at BRIT

Learn about BRIT's history, collections, education programs, and vision.

Hours and Location

The BRIT building is open to visitors 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday and some Saturday mornings (February through November). The BRIT Libraries and Herbarium are open for public use by appointment.
News
BRIT® Celebrates Sara A. Richardson, Awarded the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Designation
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