More than 60 Years of Passion to create an Exceptional Herbarium on the Flora of Brittany: Brother Gabriel Rivière donated it last Monday, September 7th at the Conservatoire National Botanique of Brest.
“You are sometimes called the Pope of Botany in Morbihan“. SyIvie Magnanon, Scientific Director of the Brittany and Pays de la Loire Department of the Conservatoire National Botanique of Brest, greeted Brother Gabriel Rivière, among other Commendations “Gaby” as he was also called by Members of His Institution.
A Sixty-Year-Old Collection
Monday, September 7th, he signed with the President of the Conservatoire, Emmanuelle Tournier, the Agreement formalizing the Donation of his Exceptional Herbarium, against the Commitment of its good Preservation but also its Dissemination to the General Public. It was Established between 1962 and 2025. “More than 60 years Identifying, Collecting 2,485 Classified Plates with a “Very Great Method“, Specifies the Elected ones who invited to Imagine the Hours of Work, of Passion that it took to list that Plant Diversity and its Evolution.”
“I am very Honored to see that my Herbarium would be highly Regarded,” said The 84-Year-Old Former Teacher and Accountant. “Given my age, it’s a part of myself that was heading towards Eternity,” he smiled. “I wasn’t Passionate about Football, for example. I preferred, on Weekends, to look at the Plants. I must have fallen into it when I was little.” It told the Influence of his Farming Parents, the Encouragement of the Congregation of the Brothers of Ploërmel. 37 years ago, he had also entrusted The Herbarium of Brother Louis Arsène to the same Conservatory.
“We know the Importance of Herbaria, especially Ancient Ones. They allowed us to know the Evolution of Flora in Time and Space,” he continued. “I collected mainly in my Native Morbihan but also in the Neighboring Departments, up to Maine et Loire”, from the time when I was studying in Angers.” He is also the Author of a Floristic Atlas of Morbihan.
 |
 |
 |
Regarding the Presence of certain Rare and Endangered Species in his Herbarium, Gabriel Rivière anticipated possible Criticism. «The National Lists were published in 1982 and those concerning Brittany in 1987. Therefore, everything that was done before was not concerned. Afterwards, it would be possible that we would find perhaps five, or a little more of the Specimens concerned. But it was not the Removal of a few that made them Disappear,” he noted, rather, those are broader Causes. It recalled “The Frenzy”, in another era to take Plants with you. A Botanist Magazine even gave the corners where one could pick such a remarkable Fern, for example.
 |
 |
The Herbarium of Brother Gabriel Rivière was presented in a Meticulous Classification, Files grouped in Folders, containing Plates Mentioning Places, Dates, and Plant Names. It was accompanied by a Valuable Computer File to facilitate its Use. Which made him say, again with a Mischievous Smile: “We could then know where I was and on what Precise Date.” Like a GPS before time…
David Cormier, Journalist at the Télégramm