Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Campus- SEED DONATION CAMPAIGN

[Paco]

Dear Palm Talk Members,

not many of you know me personally, I am a Spanish landscape architect living and working in Rio de Janeiro (yes,I know how lucky I am). I became a Palmtalk forum member a few years ago when I became IPS member and I was still in university. I haven´t been very active in the forum since a while ago, but I always check what´s going on around here.

Despite the fact that I´m not that active in the forum, I am active in the palm world. I have worked as a landscape architect for the restoration project of the Palmetum de Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain, along with my good friend Carlo Morici and other experts and professionals in the area from all over the world.

I recently started working in the “Prefeitura da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro” to be exact working as a landscape architect within the planning department of the University City Hall.

I am texting here today because I am in a mission. I am enrolled at the moment in the new master-planning project for the whole university campus, which is a 100 Hectares Island at Rio´s Guanabara bay. The master-planning project involves most of the campus grounds, gardens and interior patios and courtyards (many of them designed originally by the master Roberto Burle Marx in the 1950s).

As Roberto would have done, most of the new planting mainly in the big areas will consist in native species, nonetheless always paying attention to the outstanding aesthetic and horticultural qualities of some exotic species. The exotic species will be mainly used on patios and courtyards.

This is a call for donation of seeds/seedlings of potential species to introduce in the university campus. We have our own nursery with a decently qualified team of plant producers and gardeners that under supervision will have success taking those seeds and seedlings into the ground one day not too far away.

I will like to express the importance that a simple change into the “standard way of planning” has got. The standard way will be to plan and plant the available stuff right here, but I will like to take this a little further. The University could have a great impact in the new generation of biologist, ecologist, landscape architects and urban planners from Rio the Janeiro and the whole country. By improving the botanic diversity on the campus they will have a broader vision and knowledge in the use of plant material, for ecosystem regeneration as well as urban landscape planning.

As I said we are interested mainly in native species (not that easy to find as it might seem here in Brazil), as well as non native species with potential in Rio. We are collaborating with the botanical garden of Rio de Janeiro as well as the Sitio Roberto Burle Marx, but they have limitations and there is nothing like a community of experts and palm lovers to provide with the good stuff.

I will happily provide by private message with the university postal address. I will also answer here any question you might have.

The donations will go straight away to the University, the seeds will not be used for any lucrative purpose.

These are Palm species that we have got already:

Roystonea regia

Roystonea oleracea

Dypsis lutescens

Dictyosperma álbum

Caryota urens

Pritchardia pacifica

Acrocomia aculeata

Attalea (need ID, anyone?)

Pictures of some of the Tech.Faculty patios to be restored:

Not a palm but, has anyone got seeds of Bursera simaruba?

Muito obrigado galera!!

Best regards,

Paco Álvarez

[David Clulow]

Hi Alvarez

I have Bursera semaruba growing wind on my finca. It is one of my favorite native trees, looking very like a tropical Acer griseum the Paperbark Maple. I have raised some from seed, here is a photo on one of the seedlings planted in my arboretum. The seed was sown on 20 February 1998 and the seedling planted in the arboretumn in July 1999 and the photo was taken on 30 November 2011. The palm in the background is Corypha utan

Unfortunately I cannot send you any seeds at the moment. I visited the main post office in the State of Cojedes, Venezuela last week only to be told that no international mail could be accepted for the next three months. No explanation was given despite repeated requests for one. DHL & the other messenger services will not accept plants or seeds, even with a Physosanitary Certificate - so I'm stuck ! Remind me in three months and see if the situation has improved.

Edited November 18, 2012 by David Clulow

[Paco]

David,

Nice tree indeed! thanks for the answer and for your good intentions. Venezuela is always 'unique' in its politics... Lets get back in touch within the next few months.

I like to say thanks to Ed Brown and JC, seeds are on the way already! but we have got a huge island to reforest, we need lots and lots of new trees and palms! What about the brazilian members? Vamos galera!

I will soon publish more pictures of the campus and the new comers!

Best