NHSN member Brenda Astley reflects on a 12-year collaborative effort to sort, conserve and fully integrate Newcastle University’s plant specimens into the NHSN herbarium.
Twelve years ago, members of the Mid-week Botany Group were asked if anyone would like to help out with a large collection of preserved plant specimens given by Newcastle University to the society, which were to be incorporated with the NHSN herbarium. They were in a lot of green plastic boxes, which had been delivered to the Discovery Museum.
On 23rd Jan 2014 the following people gathered in a big room in the basement of the Discovery Museum: Janet Angel, Sue Dark, Irene Foggett, Angela Horsley, Chris Irvine, Chris Metherell, John Richards, Megs Rogers, Judy Summerson and myself, Brenda Astley, and the long process of sorting and conserving the plant specimens from Newcastle University began. John brought his camera to photograph the sheets. Angela and I entered information about the specimens on spreadsheets, which included: catalogue number, scientific name, date found, collector’s name, location, grid ref. if known and County number. The plants were also given a ‘Dandy’ classification number and were then put back in the boxes, in numerical order. Once this task was completed the specimens were to be integrated with the existing NHSN herbarium, in new, sturdy cardboard boxes.
We met each Thursday during the spring, autumn and winter, with a break during the summer months.
The work continued, gaining some volunteers and losing others along the way for various reasons. COVID resulted in a long break. When we returned, we were allocated a very much smaller room to work in. Due to the lack of bench space, we were unable to continue the photography and cataloguing, but the numbering, conservation and integration went on. It was decided when the work started again to number the sheets with an up-to-date numbering system and the plants were re-numbered using the Stace, Edition 3 book. The existing herbarium specimens were also given the new numbers. Two years ago, Mima Cattan and Pru Hamed joined, to help John, Irene and I to finish the task.
The two herbaria are now integrated, with all the specimens in labelled boxes, in the herbarium room cabinets. Some items of historical interest have been put in separate boxes: John, Albany and Mary Hancock specimens are in one box, Katharine Blackburn’s “Viola” collection is in another, and the specimens Margaret Dickinson collected, from which she did her beautiful water-colour paintings, are in two boxes.
Many thanks to all those who have helped over the years. The task we were set 12 years ago is finished at last!