Documenting biodiversity with undergraduate students

At the University and Jepson Herbaria, we focus on documenting biodiversity, research, and teaching. With over 2.2 million botanical collections from around the world, dating back to the mid-1800s, the Herbaria serve as an important resource for many fields of study.

This year, we are focusing on our fern collection and would like to hire two undergraduate students to process fern specimens.

Once in the collection, these specimens and their associated data will be available to the world via our online database. Specimens are collected in the field, pressed in newspaper and dried in a plant press.

Many large collections arrive in the Herbaria each year and inside, there are unknown treasures. For example, this fern was collected in Myanmar.

Once identified, the specimens are mounted, databased, imaged and filed in the collection. They are then routinely used in research, teaching, and outreach to the public. 

While working in the University and Jepson Herbaria, undergraduate students will gain valuable training in biodiversity studies and learn first-hand how a modern-day natural history museum functions. Combining traditional techniques of mounting and filing with modern ones such as databasing and imaging, the students will be engaged in a wide variety of activities that will provide a solid foundation for future study in botany and conservation biology.

We hope you will consider supporting undergraduate education and this important work!