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Give Now Search 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. Become A Member Upcoming Events View All > Field Trips Field Study Trips Pre-K through 12th Grade To ensure the safety of our community, all in-person educational programs for children and families are suspended through September. If the situation allows, we will reschedule programs for a later date. In the meantime, please explore virtual classes and activities from the Education team. If you have questions or concerns, please email the following: Upcoming Events Self-Guided Exploration August 31 - December 31 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Virtual Field Study Trips August 31 - November 18 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Research Lecture Series Research Lecture Series Brown Bag Lunchtime Lectures & BRIT Research Seminars The BRIT Lecture Series encourages community-wide conversation about a diverse range of important and rapidly-developing topics. Scientists and speakers share with the public the most current information about their areas of expertise. Upcoming Events Regional Evaluation and Improvement of a Drought-tolerant Bradyrhizobium Inoculant September 1 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM The commonness of rarity —evolution and endemism in South American clubmosses November 3 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Public Events GROWing Together Family Programs To ensure the safety of our community, all in-person educational programs for children and families are suspended through September. If the situation allows, we will reschedule programs for a later date. In the meantime, please explore virtual classes and activities from the Education team. If you have questions or concerns, please email the following: Upcoming Events Bella's Virtual Book & Nature Club September 2 - 5 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Little Sprouts Virtual Book & Garden Club - September September 15 - 19 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Adult Education: Classes & Workshops 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. Upcoming Events Super Soil Biology (Parts I & II) September 5 - 12 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Compost and Compost Tea (Parts I & II) October 3 - 10 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Art at BRIT Art at BRIT The Madeline R. Samples Exhibit Hall & Upper Atrium Collections Gallery Art at BRIT offers two distinctive art viewing spaces: the elegant Madeline R. Samples Exhibit Hall and the smaller, more intimate Upper Atrium Collections Gallery. The Samples Exhibit Hall showcases botanical art and artwork dealing with topics such as ecology, plants, sustainability, conservation, and the natural world – we highlight work by local and national artists, both well-known and emerging. The Upper Atrium Collections Gallery features a rotation of botanical and nature-based prints from our Library collection, including The Arader Natural History Collection of Art. Upcoming Events Selections from the Arader Natural History Collection of Art October 1 - December 31 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Art Outdoors January 1 - December 31 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Recent Articles View All > Searching for Mertensia through the Mountains of China Brandy Watts | August 13, 2020 by Brandy Watts Botany Stories From the mountains of China, comes a botany story in search of Mertensia (Bluebells), of the Boraginaceae family. Through the summer of 2010, botanist Mare Nazaire Ph.D. of California Botanic Garden (RSA) conducted numerous field collecting trips throughout the alpine regions of China. Read More > Grace Lloyd Bascopé: Flora of Belize & Maya Research Project Grace Bascope | June 09, 2020 by Grace Bascope Botany Stories Resident Research Associate, Grace Lloyd Bascopé, talks about her summers in Blue Creek, Belize working on Flora of Belize & Maya Research Project. Read More > Collecting Collections; Tiana F. Rehman, BRIT Herbarium Brandy Watts | May 11, 2020 by Brandy Watts Collections Lens 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. Read More > A Library Encircling A Herbarium Brandy Watts | April 29, 2020 by Brandy Watts Hidden Treasures 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. Read More > 1,000 Ascensions: Madagascar expedition Morgan Gostel, Ph.D. | April 13, 2020 by Morgan Gostel, Ph.D. Notes from the Field Madagascar biodiversity Notes from the Field Field Research herbarium expedition collections 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... Read More > About BRIT 2019 BRIT Update & Vision Become A Member Become a member today! The Living Roof Live Video Feed 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 mo...