The exhibition on woods from Portugal under the name “Madeiras de Portugal” arrives at the Floresta do Saber laboratory in Aveiro, featuring samples from the main collection and the eucalyptus collection of Xiloteca Albino de Carvalho. 78 samples will be on display in this laboratory located in Quinta de São Francisco until September 2023.
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The educational project Floresta do Saber, located in Eixo (Aveiro), welcomes the exhibition “Madeiras de Portugal”. There will be 78 wood samples of native and exotic species on display, all of them collected in Portugal, from Xiloteca Albino de Carvalho, one of the largest wood libraries in Portugal.
Among the samples on display, it is worth mentioning oaks (Quercus spp.), holly (Ilex aquifolium), pines (Pinus spp.), walnut (Juglans regia) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.). The items have average sizes of 13 x 6 x 1 centimetres or 20 x 10 x 2 centimetres and are identified with both the common and scientific name of the species, its family and its geographical distribution in Portugal. Visitors will able to compare colour, texture, grain and weight, thus gathering important knowledge about species on Portuguese soil.
Albino de Carvalho (1925-2008), researcher and forestry engineer who has developed relevant work in the identification and anatomy of national woods, is considered a major expert in this field. He is also acknowledged for his research in the field of forest products. His legacy is on display in the wood collection bearing his name in the Edifício Floresta of INIAV – National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research, in Oeiras, and brings together about 5750 samples of 178 wood species from 45 families and more than 99 botanical genres.
His collection is also archived in a cork library (focusing exclusively on cork samples from the Portuguese cork-producing regions south of the Tagus River), the National Cork Library Albino de Carvalho, featuring more than three thousand samples catalogued and exhibited, making this the largest and oldest collection of samples of this species.
This exhibition results from the awareness of the importance of wood libraries and collections for the identification and preservation of global biodiversity, but also their importance for the work of professionals using it in their professional activity in the artistic, architectural or industry fields. This exhibition is the result of a partnership between INIAV and RAIZ – Forest and Paper Research Institute, the promoter of the pedagogical project Floresta do Saber, assisted by the Gulbenkian Sustainable Development Program of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, recognized as NATIONAL UNESCO CLUB. Floresta do Saber thus restates its mission to raise awareness and educate on the themes of sustainability, the forest, and the digital and circular forest-based bio-economy that guides its performance.
Open to the public until the end of September 2023, you can visit this exhibition for free between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday (except holidays). Book your visit through the Floresta do Saber website, via email or phone (234 920 130).
