Chapter Meeting – August 14, 2023

“Digitizing California Herbarium Specimens at Cal Academy – Implications and Opportunities”

Guest Speaker: Dr. Sarah Jacobs

Monday, August 14, 2023, 7:30 pm

The California Academy of Sciences was recently funded to digitize 1 million California botany specimens from their herbarium. Each specimen in the collection contains valuable data that not only helps us understand California biodiversity as a whole, but also paints a picture of the history of species across the state. That trove of information is invaluable to research and conservation efforts, but right now most of it is only accessible to those who are able to visit our collections in San Francisco. In addition, summarizing information across the entire collection is currently impossible.

Previously estimated to take decades of work, this project will utilize cutting-edge technology (including engagement with community scientists) to perform the project in only a few years. As a result, the project will make the California botany collection accessible to scientists, policymakers, and community members across the state and beyond. It’s a critical step towards supporting botanical exploration and research, and guiding development and management decisions that will help achieve CAS’ Thriving California goal of conserving and regenerating the biodiversity that makes California so unique.

Dr. Sarah Jacobs, curator of the Botany Department at the California Academy of Sciences, is part of a core team of scientists that collectively curates the Academy’s collection of over 2.3 million herbarium specimens. As the Howell Chair of Western North American Botany, she is particularly focused on guiding and shaping the collection of Western North American plants, ensuring their preservation, growth, and relevance into the future.

via Zoom