Garcia da Orta (1501?-1568) made his mark on European Renaissance medicine, approximating (and improving with new data) the knowledge of classical antiquity, linked to natural resources. His work “Colóquios dos Simples” (Colloquies on the Simples) inspired the creation of this programme of talks focused around environmental sustainability. Botany is the opening theme of this first talk, moderated by Alexandre Gamela, trained in Digital Journalism and Science Communication with work developed at the Centre for Functional Ecology and the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra.