Herbarium of the Biosciences and Biotechnology Center of the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (HUENF): 12 years of extension activities. Marcelo Paixão Reis, Yasmim Maia da Rocha Vieira, Maryana Belan Viana, Waleska Soares Gomes de Carvalho, Marcelo Trindade Nascimento

Abstract

Since its creation, HUENF has established itself as a space for research and extension related to botany, being a reference in the region. Currently, HUENF has a collection of 10,154 exsiccates from collections originating mainly from the North/Northwest region of Rio de Janeiro, many of them testimonial material from research carried out at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) and other teaching and research institutions in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro. University extension has always been present in HUENF's activities, which has always welcomed researchers, teachers and students from primary and secondary schools and universities to its facilities, in addition to participating in various scientific and community events. In 2015, the Itinerante Herbarium project began, with visits to schools to provide students and teachers with knowledge about the region's flora, the importance of its conservation and the role of a herbarium and its importance for environmental preservation. In addition to visits to schools, the traveling herbarium participates in various events, reaching other audiences. The Collection, Plant Identification and Basic Herbalization Techniques Course is offered annually to undergraduate students from various universities, in addition to the general public. HUENF is already recognized as an important space for research and extension on the region's flora, and in its 12 years it has worked significantly with the region's community.