Botanic Garden at Pocos de Caldos

One of the places the team visited was the botanic garden just outside Pocos de Caldos.

We had a presentation by the technical manager of the site who explained the reasons for the setting up of the organisation, and gave information about the different habitat areas of Brazil and the specific habitat types around Minas Gerais - which is one of the transition areas between Mata Atlantica, a forested region, and Cerrado - an area which is more savannah in nature.

We were shown maps that indicate the Mata Atlantica area is now substantially smaller than it would have been originally having been deforested over a few hundred years for farming (both animals and crops), land for building the cities and towns and also for mineral extractions, where they often use open cast mining systems that we previously had seen at the graphite and limestone quarries.

The botanic gardens had a compact area where they were growing a variety of native plants - mainly trees and orchids - that they were growing to reforest in certain areas and also in the case of one orchid which was now thought to be extinct in the wild.  They were attempting to get this orchid to propagate but have not yet been successful.  They were going to attempt micro-propagation however they have not yet got the necessary facilities to do this.

 

as can be seen by these photos, these orchids aren't necessarily big significant flowers and some are as inconspicuous as those that may be found in the UK - in that unless you know what you are looking at they will not be seen.

 

 

They propagate the native trees by seed taken from local areas that they wish to re-forest to ensure that the seed bank remains as local as possible.  The new trees being reared in greenhouses to start with and then taken outside to acclimatise.  In the UK obviously this would be called hardening off the plants to get them used to the cold weather - however in Brazil I think this is more a case of preparing them for the summer heat and the periods of drought that do occur in this area outside of the rainy season.

 

 

 

This is where it got a little surreal as they asked me to plant a tree in the grounds, ceremonial style with a spade of sorts and lots of photos were taken!  They are intending to place a plaque there as well!!  I don't think of myself as a VIP, but it was such an honour to be given the opportunity - but didn't feel suitably attired for the occasion - had I known I certainly would have covered my legs a bit better - but what the heck! 

 

 

 

 

 





It was good to go to the land of botanical names for a little while, although most I did not recognise!

The establishment itself had been started originally by monies given by what I believe was both the central government, state and also the city of Pocos de Caldos.  The buildings were built several years ago.   Though there were some language difficulties I managed to find out that it is now funded mainly be the industries that have been recently been those causing the deforestation - namely the mineral companies.  It is hoped that the works that take place here is sufficient to assist in the recovery of the areas where the loss of plants has occurred.