Philately as a way of disseminating Brazilian flora

Abstract

Philately is the study and the practice of collecting postage stamps. More than mere receipts from fees paid for postal services, the stamps are an important source of information and an efficient means of mass communication, disseminating and popularizing knowledge of different areas. The paper analyzes the stamps issued by the Brazilian Enterprise of Posts and Telegraphs (ECT), from 1997 to 2008, trying to find out if the Brazilian philately is fulfilling its role of disseminating and encouraging the conservation of national biodiversity, with emphasis on species of flora. Eight hundred and forty postage stamps were issued in the period examined, of which about a quarter is related to the subject of environmental preservation. Most of the stamps about fauna and flora portray animal species (73%), while only 27% focus on the representatives of the flora. Sixty-five percent of the plant species showed in the stamps are native to Brazil, the remainder consisting mainly of exotic fructiferous species. Due to the large number of stamps addressing to environmental preservation, it is clear that the Brazilian philately is fulfilling its role of disseminating the national biodiversity and encouraging the environmental preservation. It is suggested, however, that there is greater equality in the number of philatelic emissions about fauna and flora, and that these focus on the native species of the country.