Contact

Andrea Weeks, Anne Alerding

Organization

George Mason University and Virginia Military Institute

Partners

South East Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC). Virginia Master Naturalists and Virginia Native Plant Society.

Funding Source

National Science Foundation #EF-1410086, “Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: The Key to the Cabinets: Building and sustaining a research database for a global biodiversity hotspot.” and the Virginia Native Plant Society.

Description

Help uncover the Virginia Military Institute Herbarium, a collection with deep roots in the botanical history of the state.

Help uncover the specimens of the Virginia Military Institute Herbarium, a collection with deep roots in the botanical exploration of the state. Nearly a century ago, the Flora Committee of the Virginia Academy of Science designated the herbarium of the Virginia Military Institute (VMIL) as a depository for specimens collected by this group.  The group intended to create a flora of Virginia through extensive collecting and correspondence among botanists in the state. As a result, VMIL has many historically important specimens that document the Ridge & Valley flora of the 1920’s and 30’s, prior to the reintroduction of white-tail deer, impacts of invasive plants and land-use change in Virginia. The collection is also rich in specimens from decades before and after, as well as a surprising number of specimens collected from outside the state.

A word of note about transcriptions on this expedition. Most of the labels are handwritten in cursive script, and the scientific names need transcription. As a result, a bit more time and care are required for each label than is typical for most Plants of Virginia expeditions. Your efforts are greatly appreciated in making these data useable for research.

Geographic Scope

Virginia, US and non-US

Taxonomic Scope

vascular plants

Temporal Scope

Late 19th and early to mid-20th century

Language Skills Required

English, ability to interpret cursive script