BASF donates $1,500 to Norfolk Botanical Garden
Grant will support construction of educational ‘Children’s Adventure Garden’

PORTSMOUTH, Va., November 5, 2004 -- BASF today presented the Norfolk Botanical Garden with a $1,500 “Helping Make Communities Better” grant that will be used to support the construction of a unique, plant-and-garden centered interactive educational center for children.

Scheduled for official opening in the fall of 2006, “World of Wonders – A Children’s Adventure Garden” at Norfolk Botanical Garden will provide multiple educational opportunities to enlighten and inform children about the wonders of gardens and the environment. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September for the site, which will be located on three acres in the center of the Botanical Garden, adjacent to NATO Tower. Major attractions at the site will include Global Gateway, World Plaza, The Inch Worm Tunnel, Passport Gardens, Discovery Peak, Imagination Circle, The Dirt Factory, Plant Safari and The Learning Lab.

“We deeply appreciate BASF’s generous donation,” said Alicia Solomon, Capital Campaign Manager for the Children’s Adventure Garden project. “We have more than 13,000 youths who take part in our horticultural and environmental education programs – through school tours, Scout programs, ‘family overnights,’ summer camps, and outreach programs. In total, more than 55,000 youths visited the Botanical Garden last year. We expect 120,000 youths and their families to visit the new garden when it opens in 2006. This grant from BASF will help make it an educational experience for them.”

“BASF is known as the company that helps make products better. We also have a strong commitment to helping make the communities in which we work and live better," said Kevin Heitzhaus, Manager of BASF's Portsmouth site. "We're proud to be able to support Norfolk Botanical Garden’s outstanding children’s educational initiative. Learning about the wonders of nature and our environment can serve as a great inspiration for children who may go on to be the research chemists or environmental scientists of tomorrow.”

Norfolk Botanical Garden includes 155 acres, with over 20 theme gardens that can be viewed by tram, boat, or by foot. Theme gardens include the Bristow Butterfly Garden, the Sarah Lee Baker Perennial Garden, the Virginia Native Plant Garden and the Four Seasons Garden.

Approximately 110 employees work at BASF’s Portsmouth site, which produces a variety of acrylic-based superabsorbent polymers.

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.®
BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ about 11,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately $9 billion in 2003. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be more successful through intelligent system solutions and high-quality products. BASF’s portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional market opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales of approximately $42 billion. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF), Paris (BA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

For more information, contact:
Kevin Heitzhaus
BASF
Portsmouth, Va.
Tel: (757) 483-7201
E-mail: heitzhk@basf-corp.com

Glenn Majeski
BASF
Florham Park, N.J.
Tel: (973) 245-6070
E-mail: majeskg@basf.com