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National Botanic Garden of Belgium
The National Botanic Garden of Belgium (NBG) is a public, educational and scientific institute established in 1796. It became a governmental body in 1870. Its mission is to increase and spread the knowledge on plants and to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. The institute has research programmes on the diversity and evolution of all plant groups, focusing on representatives from Western Europe, tropical Africa and Antarctica. NBG is the coordinating centre for the floristic knowledge of central Africa. It keeps samples of more than 80% of all botanical material ever collected in the three countries R.D. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, and publishes a monographic flora series for these countries.
NBG’s herbarium keeps more than 3 million specimens and is among the 25 largest herbaria of the world. About one third of these collections are from Africa. A virtual herbarium is being developed; at present it allows on-line consultation of 200,000 specimens. NBG keeps the largest botanical library of Belgium; its catalogue is available on-line.
NBG has 175 staff members of which 46 have an academic level. NBG scientists collaborate with Belgian and foreign universities and participate in national and international networks, e.g. the ‘African Plant Initiative’ of the not-for-profit organisation Aluka. NBG has partnerships in eight African countries. NBG’s more than 17,000 living collections aim at education, research and conservation. The educational programmes annually attract more than 100,000 visits, in particular for the ‘Plant Palace’ with inter alia an evolution house and glasshouses showing the vegetation of tropical and subtropical biomes of the world.
Contact:
National Botanic Garden of Belgium
Prof. Dr. Jan Rammeloo
Director
Domein van Bouchout
Nieuwelaan 38
1860 Meise
Belgium
Tel.: (+32) (0)2 260 09 20
Fax: (+32) (0)2 260 09 45
Website: www.botanicgarden.be