Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Visitor Passport Launches a new challenge

On Friday, July 3, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden will launch the second challenge of its Visitor Passport program, titled Trail Explorer. Beginning on that date, visitors who take part in the Garden’s themed Friday Guided Walks will be able to collect monthly stamps and earn exclusive rewards.

By completing each three-month cycle, participants will receive exclusive collectible pins inspired by the seasonal blooms of the arboretum, encouraging repeat visits and observation of the Garden’s changing landscape throughout the year. The featured pins are:

• July and August: Brazilwood flower (pau-brasil)
• September, October, and November: Jade vine flower
• December, January, and February: Giant water lily (vitória-régia)
• March, April, and May: Red ginger (bastão-do-imperador)

In July, the themed Friday walks will focus on the jequitibá, one of the giant trees of Brazil’s forests. Guided tours will take place on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, departing from the Visitor Center at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

The route features 20 specimens representing the three species of jequitibá found in the arboretum: the white jequitibá (Cariniana estrellensis), the pink jequitibá (Cariniana legalis), and the jequitibá-açu (Cariniana ianeirensis). The latter two species are threatened with extinction due to deforestation and logging.

The Visitor Passport program will expand in August with the launch of its third challenge, Arboretum Legend, a long-term experience designed for the Garden’s most frequent visitors. Participants who attend at least one event per month for ten consecutive months will be eligible to receive special rewards, including an exclusive wooden 3D puzzle and a guided electric cart tour led by specialists from the Directorate of Knowledge, Environment and Technology.

The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Visitor Passport was launched on June 13 to celebrate the institution’s 218th anniversary. Inspired by traditional travel passports and gamification strategies, the initiative transforms a visit to the arboretum into an interactive journey of discovery, highlighting the biodiversity, science, history, and culture found throughout the Garden.

The passport is available for purchase at the Association of Friends of the Botanical Garden (AAJB) gift shop, located at the entrance to the arboretum, for R$15.00. At the end of each challenge, visitors can collect their commemorative pins at the same location. Purchasing the passport is optional.

With the passport in hand, visitors can explore 11 locations within the arboretum and three sites along the Cultural Corridor, collect stamps, and unlock exclusive rewards and souvenirs. Combining elements of gamification, collecting, and the classic travel passport concept, the initiative brings together environmental education, science communication, and entertainment.