Mission

Scholarship

  • Living material for global biodiversity research through 1000’s of specimens exchanged studies of animals that depend on plants (e.g. see books by Wagner) analyses of evolutionary relationships and genome evolution
  • Critical local and global resource for research focusing on biodiversity (1000s of specimens loaned and studied )
  • Library of extinct species
  • Basis for many scientific publications

Education

  • 1800 General Education students learn about CT and global natural heritage
  • resource for EEB courses: Tours of the BRC were offered and led by TA or managers for BIOL 1102, BIOL 1108 (summer only), BIOL 1109, BIOL 1110, EEB 2214, EEB 2289, EEB 3265, EEB 3898 (Field Herpetology), EEB 3898 (Field Mammalogy), EEB 4200, EEB 4252, EEB4260, EEB 4272, EEB 4250, and EEB 4252. Specimens were used for BIOL 1108, EEB 2244, EEB 3203,EEB 3230, EEB 3240, EEB 3265, EEB 3271, EEB 4250, EEB 4252, EEB 4260 and EEB 4274.
  • the BRC is central to EEB 5500, the course focusing on Natural History Collections
  • training opportunities for 10-15 students
  • 4000 plants grown for Biology labs
  • 1600 species used in 40 courses
  • resource for Art and Journalism courses

Outreach

  • 50 tours annually (pre-K to seniors)
  • Educator at annual CT Flower Show
  • Reference collections for state of CT
  • Only public database on New England plants