Rio de Janeiro's Botanical Garden is hosting Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto, executive director of the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation, for the 9th edition of the Biodiversity Forum, to be held at the Botanical Garden Museum on March 25. The theme, “Land use in Brazil and the Atlantic Rainforest”, will be related to the new exhibition launched at the same venue: Atlantic Rainforest: in-finite enchantments. Admission is free, subject to capacity.

Luis Fernando, who holds a PhD in Agronomy from Esalq-USP and is a visiting professor at Oxford University, has been working for 30 years on studies, dialogues and solutions for the sustainability of Brazilian agriculture and forest conservation. At the helm of the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation, he leads the development of projects and initiatives aimed at monitoring and curbing deforestation. Another of the institution's objectives is to contribute to environmental management, as well as improving legislation and public policies aimed at preserving and restoring the biome in its entirety.

“The Botanical Garden is a very privileged space and we will have the opportunity to have a good exchange. We'll present new data and a synthesis of studies on the situation of the Atlantic Forest and land use in Brazil, but we'll also learn a lot and think of more solutions for the future of Atlantic Forest conservation and for a more sustainable and resilient Brazil to face the global climate and biodiversity crises,” says Luis Fernando.

At the seminar, he will present an overview of land use changes in Brazil over the last 40 years using data that comes mainly from MapBiomas - a collaborative initiative in which he also participates as coordinator of the Atlantic Forest biome - as well as showing the consequences of this use for the climate, biodiversity and agricultural production. Next, the focus will be on the Atlantic Forest, as it is the biome that has been most destroyed throughout Brazil's history and is currently in a critical state: its continued existence depends on zero deforestation and restoration. Luis Fernando will draw on studies that show the current state of conservation of the Atlantic Forest and what the scenarios are for the future, with a view to its recovery.

The Biodiversity Forum will take place in the Multipurpose Room of the Botanical Garden Museum on Tuesday, March 25, from 14:30 to 16:30. The activity is aimed at specialists, researchers, students and anyone else interested. Admission is free, with 50 places available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will also be broadcast live on the JBRJ's YouTube channel (youtube.com/jardimbotanicodoriodejaneiro), and a certificate of participation will be issued to both in-person and online attendees.

The Biodiversity Forum is held monthly at the Botanical Garden Museum, curated by a board made up of specialists from the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute (JBRJ). In each edition, a guest presents reflections, research and studies on biodiversity conservation, broadening the debate on climate emergencies and other key environmental issues.

Services
Biodiversity Forum: 25/03 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Multipurpose Room - 1st floor of the Museum
Places: 50, on a first-come, first-served basis
Live broadcast on JBRJ's YouTube channel.

Botanical Garden Museum
Visits: Thursday to Tuesday (closed on Wednesdays) / 10am to 5pm (open until 6pm)
Free entry with ticket pick-up at https://jbrj.eleventickets.com
Access via Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008 - Jardim Botânico.