History Sandwiched In
Wisconsin Historical Museum 30 N. Carroll St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
History Sandwiched In: Pressed Into Memory – History and Impact of the Wisconsin State Herbarium
Within historic Birge Hall at the top of Bascom Hill at UW-Madison is the Wisconsin State Herbarium (WIS), which was founded by the Board of Regents at their second meeting on January 16, 1849 when they proclaimed that “efforts should be made at once to begin the formation of a cabinet of natural history.” What began with 1,300 plant samples donated by Increase A. Lapham has grown to nearly 1.3 million pressed and dried specimens of plants, lichens, and fungi collected in the Upper Midwest and around the world. WIS is the 11th largest herbarium in the Americas and ranked among the top 1% of herbaria worldwide. Herbarium Director Dr. Ken Cameron will share the history of the institution and how it continues the important work of preserving specimens of endangered species, documenting invasives, curating plant specimens from habitats long gone, and acting as a repository for students and scientists who study plant diversity, ecology, history, and so much more.
Event Date
Tuesday, September 20
Time
12:15-1 pm
Cost: Suggested donation of $3/person
Venue: Wisconsin Historical Museum, 30 N. Carroll Street, Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-264-6555
Info
Closed Permanently