Atlantic Forest Biome Week at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

The special program for Atlantic Forest Biome Week kicks off this Friday (23/5) at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. The aim is to highlight the importance of preserving one of the most biodiverse and threatened regions on the planet. For many years, however, it has been suffering from degradation due to deforestation and poor land use caused by human activities.

According to Ibama, the biome covers more than 1.3 million square kilometers in 17 Brazilian states. Approximately 145 million Brazilians live in the Atlantic Forest. As a result of the environmental damage suffered over the years, only around a quarter of the original cover remains. In addition to the forest formations, the biome is home to an immense diversity of environments. Restingas, mangroves, rupestrian fields and altitude fields are some of the different plant structures that make up the Atlantic Rainforest.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change estimates that the biome is home to around 20,000 plant species (just over a third of those found in Brazil), including several endemic and endangered species.

Check out the program for Atlantic Forest Biome Week - May 23 to 30

- Biodiversity Forum - Restoring the Atlantic Forest - A socio-ecological challenge, with Sérgio Lucena Mendes, from the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA)
Date: 23/5 (Friday)
Time: 10am
Venue: Botanical Garden Museum
Broadcast on JBRJ's YouTube channel.

- Forest Planters - Meet the dispersers of the juçara palm | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Date: 23/5 (Friday)
Exhibition of videos showing camera traps, with records of interactions between animals and plants, captured in the Atlantic Forest of the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The videos, organized in a self-explanatory film format, will be shown continuously during the exhibition, allowing the public to observe authentic scenes of fauna and flora in their natural environment.
Venue: Botanical Garden Museum

- Atlantic Forest Trail
Dates: 23 and 30/5 (Friday)
Time: 10am
Meeting point: Visitor Center
The guided trail introduces botanical species from the Atlantic Forest Biome.

- Botanical games: fruits of the Atlantic Forest
Dates: 24/5 (Saturday) and 26/5 (Monday)
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Botanical Garden Museum
A playful experience to awaken curiosity about the native fruits of the Atlantic Rainforest. Through interactive games, participants explore colors, shapes and flavors, expanding their knowledge of Brazilian biodiversity.

- Educational visit - Atlantic Forest: in-finite enchantments exhibition
Dates: 24, 25, 26 and 27/5 (Saturday to Tuesday)
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Botanical Garden Museum
The visit presents the history of the Atlantic Rainforest and its rich biodiversity, based on the installations and interactivity of the temporary exhibition Mata Atlântica: in-finitos encantos.

- Book exhibition - Atlantic Forest: biodiversity, science and art
Dates: 26 to 30/5 (Monday to Friday)
Times: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Barbosa Rodrigues Library
The library is presenting an exhibition in which each selected book is a window onto the fascinating biodiversity and history of this unique region. From dense mangroves to majestic mountains, from enchanting waterfalls to rare species of fauna and flora.
Through these pages, visitors will become an integral part of this rich and diverse ecosystem, awakening a deep sense of connection and responsibility for the preservation of this national treasure.

- Art and nature: The Atlantic Forest in diorama
Dates: 27/5 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Botanical Garden Museum
In this activity, the public is invited to unleash their imagination and create their own dioramas. The workshop will propose the construction of incredible scenes based on the observation of landscapes, colors and species present in the temporary exhibition Mata Atlântica: in-finitos encantos.

- Atlantic Forest Biome Game
Date: 29/5 (Thursday)
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Galpão das Artes
The Atlantic Forest Biome Game presents species from the biome with information on their risk of extinction, food chain, size, endemism and threats. In addition to the game, visitors will be able to watch special projections about the Atlantic Forest and receive themed gifts that celebrate the richness of the biome. The activity is offered by JBRJ's Center for Social and Environmental Responsibility.