The Pressed Plant: Techniques in Plant Collecting and Herbarium Specimen Preparation

TWO-PART Workshop: Saturday, May 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. AND Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Price: $80 RSABG members / $100 public

Every plant is a perfect form. When pressed, dried, and mounted onto paper, its perfection is captured and preserved. Herbarium specimens are beautiful works of art, but also serve importantly to document the natural world, to assist in plant identification and in botanical research.

This two day, hands-on workshop will familiarize participants with the techniques of plant collecting and making herbarium specimens. Session one includes a demonstration on how plant specimens are collected, pressed and dried, and what information is included on specimen labels. Participants will then have an opportunity to make a voucher specimen from the Garden’s living collection, to be deposited in the Garden’s herbarium. In session two, participants will learn techniques for mounting dried plant specimens onto paper. The workshop includes a tour of the Garden’s herbarium, one of the largest collections of plant specimens in North America. Participants are welcome to bring a bag lunch.

Limit 12. Registration deadline is May 2, 2015.

Instructor: Mare Nazaire, Ph.D., Collections Manager, RSA-POM Herbarium