Texas botanists will collaborate with other U.S. institutions and international personnel to conduct research in threatened forests of Southeast Asia. FORT WORTH, Texas (August 28, 2018) – Researchers at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) have received a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a project titled “Plant Discovery in the Southern Philippines.” Dr. Peter Fritsch, BRIT’s Vice President of Research, will head the team as Principal Investigator with co-Principal Investigators Dr. Taylor Quedensley (BRIT), Dr. Darin Penneys (University of North Carolina at Wilmington), and Dr. Daniel Nickrent (Southern Illinois University Carbondale). The project begins this month and field expeditions will begin in the spring of 2019. The Philippines...

BRIT and UNTHSC Co-Host Lecture, Panel Discussion The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) and University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) will launch a new annual lecture series by co-hosting “Medical Cannabis: Illness & Symptom Relief,” at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. Event location is the UNTHSC MET Auditorium, 1000 Montgomery St., Fort Worth. Tickets, which cost $10 and include a 6 p.m. lobby reception, may be purchased by visiting http://bit.ly/2YQadkV . Featured speaker Dr. Michael Moskowitz, MD, MPH, will outline his research and practice using medical cannabis as a means of treating pain for his patients. His book, “Medical Cannabis: A Guide for Patients, Practitioners and Caregivers,” emphasizes integration of this treatment into standard medical care using neuroplastici...

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) Operating Board is pleased to announce the recent election of two new board members: Jay Rutherford and Mike Malone. Their individual, three-year terms begin 2020. Jay Rutherford is a partner with Jackson Walker LLP and has more than 25 years of experience serving as a trusted advisor to clients on employment issues. His litigation experience includes labor arbitration, collective bargaining and defense of unfair labor practice charges, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, civil rights, and other employment-related matters, such insurance benefits disputes, independent contractor agreements, and more. Mike Malone is a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig LLP and has a business and regulatory practice focusing pr...

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) presents “An Evening with Richard Louv: How Natural Learning Environments Improve the Ability to Learn and be Creative,” Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden Lecture Hall. Tickets are $35 for GROW members, and $45 for non-members — both include a signed copy of his book Vitamin N. Purchase tickets at brit.org/grow . “Richard Louv’s views on exposure to nature and how it improves children’s cognitive abilities perfectly aligns with our mission, and provides further support for our GROW educational programs,” said Tracy Friday, director of the BRIT SEED School. “We are thrilled to offer the community this opportunity, providing them with information on ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’ and our shared commitment to connecting children to...

As the only international sustainable winegrowing award of its kind, the BRIT/FIVS competition honors wine organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the environmental, social, and economic aspects of winegrowing. FORT WORTH, Texas (May 1, 2019) – Come join the competition! The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and FIVS are pleased to announce the start of their 2020 sustainable winegrowing competition. Competition applications can be downloaded from BRIT’s web site at www.brit.org/wineaward and from the FIVS website www.fivs.org . The submission deadline for applications is September 30, 2019. This is the first BRIT/FIVS co-branded and co-managed competition since the event began in 2010. The new partnership engages FIVS’s global membership of regional wine associations, wine prod...

Event Celebrates American Public Garden Association’s National Public Gardens Week Building upon momentum from last year’s event, Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) host the second annual “Lunch in the Garden” May 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free and open to the public, this year’s event also features performers from Fort Worth Opera and Texas Ballet Theater . “Lunch in the Garden raises awareness for one of Fort Worth’s most beautiful attractions and leads us into National Public Gardens Week starting May 13,” said Bob Byers, Botanic Garden director. “We were extremely fortunate this year to add opera and ballet volunteer performances, believing that folks will appreciate the beautiful gardens as backdrop while they take a break from work or brin...

Families Invited to Free Activities, Author Presentation and Book Signings GROW educators invite children and parents to the first StoryWalk®, a concept combining the love of reading with the outdoors. This free event May 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature the book, “A Butterfly is Patient,” and will highlight the newly replanted Pollinator Pathway connecting the Fort Worth Botanic Garden to the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®). Fort Worth Public Library Director Manya Shorr will offer opening remarks, and world-renowned children’s author Diana Aston will discuss her ideas for the featured book followed by a book signing. “We are so honored to have Manya, Diana and other literacy advocates join us for this opening-day celebration,” said Kat Goldin, GROW School Program Mana...

This competition is the first of its kind in Texas and will reward both wineries and grape growers for sustainable practices. Applications are now available for downloading. FORT WORTH, Texas – The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR) are proud to announce the launch of a unique Texas wine competition honoring both the wine producer and the grape grower. Applications for the inaugural Texas Sustainable Winegrowing Competition can be downloaded from the BRIT website at: http://www.brit.org/texaswinecompetition or fwssr.com . Application submission deadline is September 30, 2019 with winners announced in November. The competition will award medals to winemakers and their grape growers recognizing that while some Texas wineries grow their...