to the Plant Identification Indexto the Schoolyard Habitat Index to the Plant Identification Index
to the Schoolyard Habitat Index
How to Start Your Own
Herbarium
Herbarium - A collection of dried specimens of plants with date (information) attached, often mounted on linen paper, preserved for study or comparison.
to
the herbarium introduction page here
to learn more about some famous herbaria.
Note: Links to external sites are written out because this site is designed to be used in classrooms NOT hooked to the internet. Interested students and teachers can print out the URL and access it from home or the public library or possibly the school's library. Support school funding to provide internet access, please.
I will be reading what L. H. Bailey has to say about preparing your plants, using notes from great directions found on the web but I lost the URL and author, and the how-to chapters from The New Field Book of Nature Activities and Hobbies by Hillcourt (A Putnam Nature Field Book).
Read this first: Know our state laws. Never collect an endangered plant. Respect other people's property when you are collecting.
A rule of thumb is: Never pick a plant until 6 are seen, and never pull one up for the roots untill 10 are found.Students should ask a teacher when in doubt.
Botanists consult specimens to help identify newly collected plants, to compare features of plants to see what group ( genus, family) it might belong to, and for other reasons I'll add when I find them out!
Be sure to record in your field notebook while you are collecting the following information that will be useful later:
- where the plant was collected...
- country, if you are on vacation in Canada or other country
- town or area within the town including the street or route number (this allows you to go back another year to see if that type plant still grows there)
- type of surroundings (dry, sandy soil, sunny? or shady, moist, rich soil? or...?)
- what it looks like...plants might soon loose their color and other clues to what they are after collecting, so you have to take notes as soon as you pick them.
- color of the flower?
- distinctive smell?
- attracting any special insect or animal?
- growing in a special way? (vining around something, perhaps, or...?)
- a collection number...the first plant you ever collect is #1. The second is # 2 (had you guessed
!?). On your next collecting walk you will begin numbering where you left off the time before. These numbers can be added to your final specimen label and are insurance you have not mixed up your information and plants!
- the date
Read the following overview than go to the next page.
Simply put, the rules of starting your own herbarium are:
- Collect whole plants
- Dry them thoroughly under pressure
- Mount them carefully
- Label them correctly
Stuff you will need:
- newspaper, for pressing the plant between as it dries; cut to about 12 x 17 inches
- boards,2 strong, solid, 12 x 17 inche plywood boards would be great: these are the press boards the newspaper and plants are inserted between and then weighted down (with stones, iron scrap, your kid brother...)
- boards that are lighter to carry around when you are collecting; you don't want your plants to curl up and you don't want to die of exhaustion packing around heavy ones!
- nicer, thicker paper to mount the finished dry specimen on (If you plan to keep this your whole life you should get some acid-free archival quality paper. This is not necessarily expensive, although it can be if you want it to....depends what you buy.)
- glue
- "tweesers" or forceps (some forceps look like scissors but they are just meant to hold things. Doctors use them, too. You can find them at flea markets, like the one in Mansfield, regularly and pretty cheap!)
- labels, make your own; Bailey said 3 1/2 by 1 3/4 inches is convenient...but whatever you use it should be the same on all of your pages in your herbarium
- patience
Next pages: Pick one...but pictures are at the bottom of this page if you want to scroll down and look before leaving.
A sampler of equipment:
The aluminum thing below with its lid open is a collecting container. It was made to be light for carrying around by that shoulder strap. It keeps the plants from getting squished or dried out so you can examine them when you get home. It cost$73.35 5 years ago!!!
My mother, Mary Huntley, thinks aluminum foil wrapped around a tupperware bowl would be better...you just have to pierce it an thread nylon belting through tight fitting slits! What do you think?
The temporary press board outfit here is meant to be light and portable. They use pegboard for the boards with a few extra sticks glued on to keep it from warping. Belting cinches it together. Inside are a few blotters and some corrugated cardboard pieces. It is special cardboard but you can find it around if you look...it is only sandwiched with paper on one side. This allows the air channels to carry away the moisture from your plants. That set up, without the extra paper and cardboard would cost about $40.00. If you can't find something to do the job for less than $3.00 you should be ashamed of yourself. You still need a sturdy press for the serious pressing done back at home!
Here is a nice picture of your field press. This one is made of lattice to be both light and ventilated.
This cabinet is 4 feet high and about 28 inches wide. It stores your collection so bugs can't get in there and eat it!!!! You might consider RubberMaid under the bed storage cases. Big, out of the way and bug tight. This lovely cabinet that I would love to have if I had a bazilliion dollars cost around $600! A RubberMaid storage container will run you $12, if that.
The item on the left is a folder, a portfolio, that you place your finished sheets in. The string ties keep things from sliding around and discourage warping.
The stack of things are actually shallow boxes with a piece of glass taped in the lid. A thin blanket of cotton inside will cushion plants that have sticks and bumpy stuff on them. You can tape the box shut to keep out the bugs. Remember, insects rule. Anythng you make, they assume is theirs to eat or live in.
to Schoolyard Habitat Index to
Waddell School Introduction Page to What's New! at the school
This
site designed and maintained by Emma Craib
who welcomes your
comments and suggestions !
E-MAIL
