Fort Worth, Texas (February 2, 2018) — The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) and Fort Worth Botanic Garden have joined forces, combining their education and volunteer efforts to launch a new, innovative partnership called GROW. Both organizations will introduce the GROW collaborative to the public during Growing in the Garden Day, a free event at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden campus from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. During the three-hour, come-and-go event, families will have the opportunity to experience programs the new collaborative will offer and to enjoy activities for all ages, such as art in the garden, a scavenger hunt, story time with nature, and composting activities, to name a few. “Our GROW team is eager to reveal the spring education and volunteer opportun...

E. & J. Gallo Winery receives special gold corporate-wide sustainable winegrowing award Three additional wineries from Argentina and the U.S. receive medals for their outstanding ground-to-glass sustainability programs FORT WORTH, Texas – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is pleased to announce the winners in its 2018 International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing competition. The platinum medal goes to Alexander Valley Vineyards (AVV) of Healdsburg, California, based on the winery’s on-going sustainable programs that address the three elements of sustainability: environmental, economic, social – and the Vineyard’s wine taste. AVV is one of an elite group of wineries recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. They became a member of the California Sustainable Wi...

The two conservation organizations will work together protecting and safeguarding rare and endangered native Texas plants and promoting the value of biodiversity and natural resources to the public. FORT WORTH, Texas (November 14, 2017) – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expand areas of their collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the two organizations’ commitment to plant conservation, exploration, and education. The MOU creates a collaborative working relationship that advances plant conservation and programs that will educate the public about the importance of maintaining wild spaces for the health and well-being of people in Texas. Included in the agreement, both organizations will Support t...

Students in TCU’s College of Science & Engineering and College of Education will study and work with BRIT’s plant science Ph.D.s to fulfill degree requirements FORT WORTH, Texas (September 25, 2017) – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Texas Christian University announce an education and research partnership that enhances and expands the University’s delivery of its undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate and graduate students in TCU’s College of Science & Engineering and College of Education will work with BRIT’s Ph.D. botanists and research staff performing plant science and field research to help satisfy their degree requirements. “BRIT’s unique experiential learning coupled with its research labs and herbarium add a new learning dimension to our educational progra...

- Wednesday, September 27, at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel - BRIT celebrates three decades by honoring three Texas originals. Join us as we present our 2017 International Award of Excellence in Conservation to J. David Bamberger and Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve; Frank Yturria and the Frank Yturria Family Ranch; and the Texas Christian University Ranch Management Program. Tables and tickets are available. Click here to see BRIT's 2017 Conservation Award Video

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (July 3, 2017) - The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is pleased to announce the nonprofit has been selected to receive almost half a million plant specimens that have been orphaned by the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). This acquisition will increase the total number of specimens housed by the institute to more than 1.3 million and will place BRIT’s herbarium among the top ten (in specimens housed) in the United States. The ULM collection represents more than 99 percent of the species in Louisiana’s vascular flora and is considered to be the state’s most complete record of plants. “BRIT’s herbarium was designed to house over two million plant specimens,” said Ed Schneider, president and executive director of BRIT. “Orphaned herbarium collections suc...

Seven Additional Wineries from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and the U.S. Receive Medals for Their Outstanding Ground-to-Glass Sustainability Programs FORT WORTH, Texas – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is pleased to announce the winners in its 2017 International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing competition. The platinum medal goes to Yealands Family Wines (Yealands) of Marlborough, New Zealand, based on the winery’s on-going programs that address the three elements of sustainability: environmental, economic, social – and of course, how well the wine itself tastes. Yealands’ achievements in sustainability include being the world’s first winery certified carboNZeroCertTM as well as operating New Zealand’s largest solar array: generating over 411 kilowatts o...

TxDOT will use maps to find, protect rare plants along Texas highways FORT WORTH, Texas – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®), Tarleton State University, and the Texas Department of Transportation are teaming together to document rare plant species that may potentially exist within TxDOT rights-of-way in 23 counties in the Waco and Austin districts of Central Texas. Through a TxDOT grant, Tarleton and BRIT will research and build habitat maps for 57 of the 81 Edwards Plateau rare plant species. The work includes identifying, documenting, and mapping areas where these rare species most likely occur. TxDOT will use these maps to improve the department’s ability to protect the rare species, which grow along Texas highways. For several of these species, roadsides represent a sign...