More than a thousand native plants and science in the field: INFOR brought the Flowering Desert closer to the community at the University of La Serena

With a proposal focused on research, environmental education, and scientific outreach, the Forest Institute (INFOR), an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, had a prominent participation in a new edition of the Science Day of the University of La Serena (ULS), an activity that brought together thousands of people around knowledge, innovation, and science.

For the second consecutive year, the institution was part of this initiative, bringing the community closer to the scientific work it develops in the arid and semi-arid ecosystems of northern Chile, especially around the Flowering Desert phenomenon and the conservation of native species.

The exhibit included a photographic exhibition with more than 20 images captured by INFOR researchers during field campaigns in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions, as well as interactive stations where girls, boys, young people, and adults were able to learn about native plant propagation processes, learn about seeds, and grow their own plant alongside researchers from the institution. As part of the activity, more than a thousand plants were also given to attendees.

The manager of INFOR's Diaguitas Office, Dr. Sandra Gacitúa, highlighted that these types of spaces allow scientific knowledge to be brought closer to citizens and the territory's natural heritage to be valued.

"We are very happy to have participated in Science Day, in partnership with the University of La Serena and in service to the community, especially the new generations. This activity allows us to showcase our research on the Flowering Desert and xerophytic plants, and to value the richness of our plant heritage in the Coquimbo Region," she stated.

INFOR's participation was widely valued by the community and by the authorities present, who highlighted the institution's ability to translate years of applied research into educational experiences that are accessible and understandable to the public.

Along these lines, the rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Luperfina Rojas, highlighted the collaboration developed between both institutions. "For us, INFOR's participation has been tremendously valuable, because it represents a strategic alliance that we have developed with them in recent years, involving different academic programs, which is why we find it very valuable that it continues to be strengthened," she indicated.

For her part, the regional minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of the Coquimbo Region, Maite Arenas, valued the institution's contribution to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. "It is very important to have this type of instance, which allows people to know what we are developing and how science and technology are carried out in our region. This exhibit contributes greatly to ensuring that scientific outreach reaches our community in a simple, accessible, and entertaining way," she stated.

INFOR's participation in Science Day reaffirms the institutional commitment to the generation and transfer of applied scientific knowledge, strengthening the link between research, education, and community, and contributing to ensuring that the advances developed by its teams reach the territories and the people.