“It’s Serralves Garden Time” – Observer

Is the park a knowledge transfer area?
Yes, therefore, the need to bring these sustainability issues to the negotiating table is unmistakable. Issues such as biodiversity and climate as well. Things that are already done here. I am honored to join a team that has done an exceptional job, both in green space management and in scientific and educational programming.

At this stage of scientific and pedagogical programming, we expect a stronger intervention from you. In that sense I ask what do you want to do in the first place?
Regarding the natural heritage, as can be seen, the park is very well maintained, but with that we will have two or three new elements. One will be completed soon. This is the rose garden, an iconic space that I want to improve, because it is also an element of encounter between nature and a certain romantic time in the garden. As for programming that deals with sustainability and the scientific and educational issue, it is a strong bet. This is a space of privilege, it is a space of exceptional uniqueness in the city of Porto, and it also has a lot of programs in cooperation with the municipality. I want to continue to assess the ability to reach small audiences, children, schools, even those situations where there is some social fragility. Quinta rehabilitation is a very comprehensive project, and we also want to reach children with movement difficulties. And I want to advance the science through cycles of conferences in increasing harmony with other aspects of the institution. Let’s try to do more interdisciplinary programming.

Is educational service required here from all fronts?
Yes, we will also have a small science lab built into the educational service to create more opportunities for living and experimenting in the lab. We’re building it now, and it’s in the process of being built.

And in terms of supply?
We will have a very beautiful exhibition dedicated to mushrooms called “Mushroom Art”. The idea is a transdisciplinary discourse. Mycology is still very unknown, perhaps even the most unknown realm of science. But in the coming years, it will revolutionize this world. It is of extraordinary importance to plants, in the dialogue between fungi and plants the land is occupied. Life, the more you achieve coexistence, the more effective it has always been. Collaborative networks are strategic in nature. Collaboration is the language of nature.

Do we still have to learn from nature?
It’s exactly one of the messages I wanted to bring here. So, we’re going to have a great conference of the European Mycological Society that will be taking place in June here in Serralves. A scientific conference where the latest figures on fungi from the European continent will be presented. At the same time, we will have another set of initiatives, including this exhibit in the garden that will show us another way of looking at fungi. The idea is to create a dynamic around a group of organisms essential to life.