OUTREACH
We broaden the impact of our research through three major venues.
Since 2016, volunteers from around the world have transcribed label data from over 75,000 herbarium specimens for research via Plants of Virginia expeditions hosted on the online platform, Notes from Nature. This outreach was made possible by a National Science Foundation research grant (EF-1410086), which funded the digitization of 11 Virginia herbaria.
HERBARIUM TOURS & WORKSHOPS
The University herbarium (GMUF/LFCC), which is the third-largest in Virginia, hosts about 50 non-research visitors per year on tours and workshops.
In collaboration with GMU-TV production services, Matthew Sheik and I created two publicly available outreach videos about the GMUF/LFCC herbarium: An introduction to the George Mason University Herbarium and How herbarium specimens are curated for global research. T
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Communicating about our science is more important than ever. I enjoy the opportunity to share what we do - whether it is uncovering the systematics of tropical trees or cataloging local plant biodiversity - and why it matters. Check out my April 2022 presentation to the Virginia Native Plant Society about the Central Appalachian shale barren flora and the botanical legacy of Lena Artz (1891-1976).