Preparing Invasive Species Herbarium Specimens

Before digital databases became the standard, plant specimens would be collected for storage in an herbarium. Properly prepared specimens can last for hundreds of years, making them ideal for research, education, and long-term population tracking. As electronic record keeping grew in popularity, physical specimens were collected less often, but are still considered an important method of data collection today.

Join iMapInvasives as we discuss herbarium history, the benefits of having physical specimens, and how you can contribute specimens to the New York State Museum’s herbarium