SAGEHEN HERBARIUM WORKFLOW
Last update: 7/29/16
Contacts: Faerthen Felix ([email protected]), Erica Krimmel ([email protected])
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vakXfvb5Q96Fy2IJKHeStmHMJxyCkEuYWNgg8_npk4U/edit
?usp=sharing
Field:
1. Locate plant specimen!
2. Make and upload an iNaturalist observation with photograph for each specimen.
 Add observation to the "Herbarium Specimens - Sagehen or North Fork
American River" Projects. Complete required label data fields: ID, location,
associated species, numbers seen, etc. (use a field notebook to record data if
smart device is not available).
4. Collect and press specimen.
 Make minimal identifying notes on pressing newspaper to facilitate linking
specimen to iNat record later (ID, date, collector, location).
 Allow specimen to dry for >= 4-5 days.
Lab:
1. Glue dried specimen to paper:
 Pencil-in basic identifying info from pressing newspaper in area to be covered by
label (lower right corner).
 Cover vouchers with plastic sheet, cardboard and weight; allow to dry >= 1-hour.
 Reassembly plant press and clean up.
2. Place dried vouchers into species folders:
 Label folder with location, collector and date on a Post-it note.
 Keep all of each session's specimens in a large folder on the appropriate shelf in
the left cabinet until ready to complete labeling, accessioning and digitizing of
vouchers.
Accessioning:
Use this workflow:
http://collectionseducation.org/site/assets/files/1041/instructorguidetousinginaturalist_201
5-08-27.pdf
1. Assign next available SCFSXXXX accession number to each new voucher:
 Make note of next available number for next time, every time!
 Pencil accession number on right lower corner of voucher.
2. Update each record in iNaturalist Herbarium Projects (Sagehen or North Fork) with
field for accession ID (“Reference no.”).
3. Export a CSV file of the updated iNaturalist Herbarium Project records.
 Use this schema of export columns, then use it to map the CSV to NANSH.
4. Log into NANSH and upload CSV of new records using “Sagehen” import.
5. Do a search to be sure the data arrived and the records are correct.
Labeling:
1. Create and print label(s) with NANSH:
 Trim labels.
 Glue label(s) to voucher(s).
Digitizing:
1. Scan voucher(s).
2. Name photos in this format: Accession number + space + First 3 letters of Genus +
First 3 letters of species.
3. Upload photo(s) to NANSH records.
4. Add photos to Flickr page and Sagehen archive.
Filing:
1. Put finished vouchers into appropriate folders in the Sagehen herbarium (right
cabinet). Taxonomy is outdated, but use it as is for the time being. That’s a project for
another day!
Notes on Sagehen Herbarium accessioning numbers:
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Always confirm there is no existing record in NANSH before assigning numbers!
Collection numbers begin at SCFS1 (unfortunately).
Numbers used by BNHM in 2014 to accession and image Sagehen vouchers:
SCFS5283-SCFS5358.
Angele’s accession number block: SCFS1000-1999
Other available numbers (7-9-16):
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
54
518, 539-547, 565-568, and 704 (mysteriously, already in NANSH with no record
attached)
995-999
2000-2086
2091-2160
2172-2218
2227-2386
2388-2389
2393-3083
3087-3090
3092-4999
5359***
Training Materials
Workflow...
 Connecting Students to Citizen Science and Curated Collections: Using iNaturalist to
Monitor Students’ Collecting Progress and Transfer Data to a Database.
http://collectionseducation.org/site/assets/files/1041/instructorguidetousinginaturalist_201
5-08-27.pdf
 Connecting Students to Citizen Science and Curated Collections: Students Contributing
to our Understanding of Global Biodiversity. http://collectionseducation.org/
Data sharing...
 iDigBio: Symbiota Working Group Webinar Series. Explains using Symbiota portals (like
NANSH) for small collections management…
https://www.idigbio.org/wiki/index.php/SWG_Webinar_Series
 Symbiota Google Group. For asking questions and researching issues…
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/symbiotagroup

Symbiota Data Management Tools. Not great, but some good info…
http://symbiota.org/docs/symbiota-data-management-tools/
Botanizing...
 Floral Formula, Leaves, and Gynoecium exercises and tests: Botanical ID training.
http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/science/herbarium/home
 Botany tools, including hand lens and a field notebook.
***
Flowchart:
1. Creating voucher:
 Locate and photograph
plant.
2. Create an iNaturalist
observation from the
photograph:
 Join the Project,
“Herbarium Specimens:
Sagehen / North Fork” and
complete the required field
notes (if there is no cell or
wifi signal, do this
immediately when you get
back).
3. Collect and press the plant:
 Write minimal identifying
notes on the pressing
paper: collector, date, ID,
location, iNaturalist
observation number (if
there is no signal, do this
immediately when you get
back).
 Allow specimens to dry for
>= 4-5 days.
4. Glue dried specimen to
paper:
 Pencil-in basic identifying
info from pressing
newspaper in area to be
covered by label (lower
right corner).
 Cover vouchers with
plastic sheet, cardboard
and weight; allow to dry
>= 1-hour.
 Reassembly plant press
and clean up.
7. Update each record in
iNaturalist Herbarium Projects
(Sagehen or North Fork) with
field for accession ID
(“Reference no.”).
5. Place dried vouchers into
species folders:
 Label folder with location,
collector and date on a
Post-it note.
 Keep all of each session's
specimens in a large
folder on the appropriate
shelf in the left cabinet
until ready to complete
labeling, accessioning and
digitizing of vouchers.
6. Accessioning: Use this
workflow:
 Assign next available
SCFSXXXX accession
number to each new
voucher:
 Make note of next
available number for next
time, every time!
 Pencil accession number
on right lower corner of
voucher.
8. Export a CSV file of the
updated iNaturalist Herbarium
Project records.
 Use this schema of export
columns, then use it again
to map the CSV to
NANSH.
11. Digitizing:
 Scan voucher(s).
 Name photos in this
format: Accession number
+ space + First 3 letters of
Genus + First 3 letters of
species
14. Filing:
Put finished vouchers into
9. Log into NANSH and upload
CSV of new records using
“Sagehen” import.
 Do a search to be sure the
data arrived and the
records are correct.
10. Create and print label(s)
with NANSH:
 Trim labels.
 Glue label(s) to
voucher(s).
13. Add photos to Flickr page
and Sagehen archive.
12. Upload photo(s) to
individual NANSH records.
appropriate folders in the
Sagehen Herbarium (right
cabinet).
HERBARIUM CURATION
Sagehen uses volunteers to manage its collections, including our herbarium. Here are some
useful documents to help you understand the principles and strategy.
IMPORTANT! Be scrupulous about your field and lab notes. Keep a lab journal and field
notebook. Document everything you do! Your effort is wasted--or even destructive--if you
(or others) cannot later figure out what you did.
Organization and Management
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Sagehen Herbarium Workflow.
iNaturalist specimen live observations. Herbarium Specimens: Sagehen | Herbarium
Specimens: North Fork. Observations are downloaded in bulk as csv, and uploaded to
Symbiota via the North American Network of Small Herbaria (NANSH).
Using iNaturalist to transfer data to Symbiota. Use these instructions and this schema
to map Sagehen Herbarium iNaturalist project observations to NANSH.
Sagehen Herbarium Index:
o
Pre-2016. Sagehen's main collection is still organized according to a traditional
schema, which has grown severely outdated:
Dalla Torre, C. G. de et H. Harms. Register zu de Dalla Torre et Harms:
Genera Siphonogamarum ad Systema Englerianum Conscripta. W.
Engelmann, Leipzig [Germany]. 1908.
o
2016-present. Our North Fork collection is organized under LAPG III, and we will
eventually reorganize the Sagehen collection to LAPG III, as well. "The APG III
system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly
molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm
Phylogeny Group (APG), published in 2009...A paper by Haston et al., was a
linear sequence of families following the APG III system (LAPG III). This provided
a numbered list to the 413 families of APG III. A linear sequence is of particular
use to herbarium curators and those working on floristic works wishing to arrange
their taxa according to APG III."
Useful Documents
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Central Sierra Field Research Stations (CSFRS) place names and coordinates for
Sagehen Basin, and the North Fork of the American River. Chickering Map | Word
DocSagehen Collections photographic archives.
Sherman Chickering's historic botanical collection scans.
Sagehen Plant List: 2012 | current
North Fork Plant List: Chickering, 2012 | current
California Plant Families, Genera and Species (CalFlora, 2016).
Herbarium Specimens: Sagehen | Herbarium Specimens: North Fork
Field notes:
o 2013 & 2014 trail maps of collecting days in the North Fork (E. Krimmel, F. Felix).
o 2012 North Fork collecting notes (E. Krimmel, F. Felix).
Herbarium To-Do Projects, 7-28-16
1. Our only source for the pre-2016 Dalla Torre & Harms Herbarium Index is the hard copy
on the herbarium cabinet door. This photo of that document needs transcription to a
spreadsheet for future reference.
2. Catch up the backlog of new specimens:
o Connect all loose specimens to their iNaturalist records using iNat record
number. Join observations to iNat Projects, "Herbarium Specimens: Sagehen (or
North Fork)" if not already done. Update iNat record project fields from field
notes, if necessary. There is often some detective work involved in this.
o Mount all loose specimens that have data (set aside no-data specimens in a
folder with a note to that effect); in the lower right corner of the herbarium sheet,
pencil in the collection info from the pressing paper notes, field notes, and/or
iNaturalist record.
o Assign SCFSXXXX accession numbers to all new vouchers, and update their
iNaturalist record with the new accession number in the "Reference no." field.
o Export an iNaturalist CSV with the new accessions.
o Import CSV to NANSH.
o Print labels from NANSH and attach to vouchers in lower right corner over pencil
notes.
o File vouchers.
3. Bundle and send all non-Sagehen/non-North Fork vouchers to Berkeley's Jepson
Herbarium.
4. Reorganize Sagehen collection under LAPG-III.
5. Image all remaining specimens; upload photos to Flickr archive and individual NANSH
database records.
When that is all done, THEN more collecting!...
6. Herbarium specimen needs. There are plants on our basin list that are not represented
in our herbarium. We'd like to close that gap in order to document the list, and to have a
complete teaching and research collection.
7. Collect duplicate specimens of Sagehen Cupressaceae and Juncaceae taxa to share
with University of Washington in exchange for identifications (one voucher for them, one
for us). Address: