Natural History Collections, Floristics, Science Communication, FAIR Data Practices
As the collections assistant, my job is to be the steward of our natural history collections to ensure longevity of the vascular plant, fungal and arthropod specimens. I work with a team of dedicated and skilled scientists and volunteers to oversee specimen processing as well as loans and exchanges with other institutions. Collections, like these held at Denver Botanic Gardens, are instrumental in creating a baseline understanding of what species grow and where, the crucial first step in tackling the biodiversity crisis. I am also interested in connecting people data to specimens to highlight an individual’s contributions to science through their time spent creating and working with natural history collections.