Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra: a living museum that takes us on a journey across the world through plants

Established in 1772, the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra (JBUC) is currently the home of over 1,500 plant species spread throughout the more than 11 hectares of the space. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, as part of the University of Coimbra, Alta and Sofia, JBUC has been fulfilling its mission of being a place of training, culture, leisure and research for 250 years, welcoming visitors of different ages and backgrounds every day. We unveil some of the major challenges that mark the daily life of the largest green space of the University of Coimbra (UC).

It is visible to everyone who crosses Campus I of the University of Coimbra every day, but also to those who go to other corners of the city of Coimbra. Through its five access gates, everyone can easily enter the UC Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra. But does everyone know the history of this remarkable garden? And do people know that those who work here nurture and care for a place with over 1,500 species of plants in 11 hectares?

Alameda das Tílias, the Garden's central avenue, is probably the JBUC space that most people visit every day, but there are others available to the community. These spaces, with magnolias, lime trees, box trees, maple trees, Japanese cherry trees, camellias, azaleas or fruit trees, are part of the 11.7 hectares of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra, of which 1/3 is occupied by the Classic Garden and the rest by the Forest (or Arboretum, as it is formally called). The garden began to expand from the central square, and currently includes several areas such as the Tropical Greenhouse, the Cold Greenhouse and the Bamboo Grove.

Established in 1772, the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra was originally created to support teaching at the University of Coimbra and is now a landmark for those who visit, study and work at the UC. Over the past 250 years, it has been providing a wide range of services not only to the UC community, but also to the general public. The director of the Botanical Garden, Teresa Girão, reveals that "the diversity of the spaces in the garden and its ambience make it a very attractive place for different initiatives that bring together different audiences".

In order to meet the needs of different groups of visitors of different ages and with different needs, the Botanical Garden has three main roles. In the area of culture and leisure, the Garden hosts several initiatives promoted or co-organised by the UC, such as the Cultural Week, the Orphika music cycle, the Mimesis theatre and performing arts cycle or the Coimbra Anozero Biennial. The possibility of strolling through the garden free of charge and enjoying its permanent spaces is also part of this recreational component.

Education is another component of JBUC. The garden hosts classes from the Departments of Life Sciences and Architecture of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UC, as well as curricular and summer internships as part of the various study programmes, or even master's and doctoral projects. The third pillar of JBUC's mission is to support research. The Garden opens its doors to researchers who need to work here, while promoting biodiversity conservation and the dissemination of science, encouraging debate and raising awareness of pressing issues such as the importance of plant diversity, climate change or the sustainable use of resources.

None of this would be possible without the people who work here every day. For the Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra, these people are "the heart of this garden, who keep it alive and fit for everyone to enjoy its various activities". There are currently nine gardeners working at the Garden. In addition to the team who look after the various areas of the garden, there are three senior technicians who work at JBUC, performing administrative, communication and educational tasks.

According to the director, "working in the Botanical Garden is an ongoing challenge, because there are so many demands, both internal and external". Teresa Girão explains that the JBUC is "a living museum, with collections that are constantly changing and therefore in constant need of maintenance".

Website: www.uc.pt/jardimbotanico

Contacts: jardim.botanico@uc.pt

_{Content Production and Editing: Catarina Ribeiro and Inês Coelho, DCOM
Image Editing: Sara Baptista, NMAR
Translation: Diana Taborda}