20/09/2022

IMPA 70 years: a life among the flowers of the institute

On October 15th, IMPA celebrates its 70th anniversary. And this history is not built solely on classrooms and research. One of the beauties of the institute's headquarters, inaugurated in 1981, is its gardens – full of flowers, trees, and home to countless birds and their songs, the soundtrack to daily life there.

The nickname of one of those responsible for the upkeep of the IMPA's gardens gives clues about his role: Paulo "Folha" (Leaf). He is the institute's head gardener, in charge of pruning trees, planting species, cleaning the garden, fertilizing, watering, preparing arrangements, and maintenance.

“I got that nickname when I was still working in the cleaning industry. I spent my days sweeping the floor, which was always full of leaves that had fallen from the many trees here. A colleague started joking and calling me “Leaf.” The nickname stuck,” he recalls.

Paulo Pacheco da Silva is one of IMPA's longest-serving employees. "Folha" has spent a good part of his 58 years tending to the azaleas and alpinias at IMPA, two of the most abundant species in its backyards. Another characteristic plant is the Amendoim Grama – a shrub that spreads across the institute's slopes – essential for stabilizing the soil and preventing erosion.

“I started at the institute when I was 18. It was one of my first jobs. At first, I worked in cleaning. Later, I became a gardening assistant. I learned the trade from the IMPA's former gardener. Today, I am the professional gardener,” he says.

He joined the institute in 1986, just five years after the inauguration of IMPA's own headquarters, located in Jardim Botânico, in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro. "I love being close to nature. It's what I like most about my job. IMPA is a calm and great place to work," he says.

Over seven decades, many other people have participated in the building and consolidation of the institute. In the series " IMPA Stories , " nine current and former employees shared their memories and interesting facts about their work and relationship with IMPA. The episodes can be viewed on the institute's YouTube page .