collecting

[Stinger]

Robin Scribailo makes a good point that is becomming common around the
country, especially in the Northeast ... using local amateur
organizations to do field surveys that would ideally be done by
qualified professionals.  I agree that teaching people to make good
specimens is not very difficult (see
http://www.ftg.fiu.edu/collecting.htm).

As Robin points out, problem is identification, the sad fact from my
long experience is that there aren't enough experts around to make IDs.
Turnaround time at many herbaria is on the order of years.  We are
currently experimenting with more efficient ID methods for amateurs.
Part of the project involves interactive keys (see:
http://www.ftg.fiu.edu/grass/navikey/navikey.html and
http://www.ftg.fiu.edu/treepuzzle/default.htm) and another part involves
very focused training aimed at a few important taxa.  We have had some
luck with confirmation by digital photographs and selective vouchering
with a group of High School students that we are working with.
Verification is key.  Users need to be able to verify that what they
have is what they think it is after keying it out.  Our Virtual
Herbarium serves much of that purpose, as well as key characteristic
pages that we are only now beginning to put up.  I am interested to hear
from others about their experiences in getting untrained people to make
correct IDs.



--
Gerald "Stinger" Guala, Ph.D.
Keeper and Curator of the Herbarium
Systematist
Fairchild Tropical Garden
11935 Old Cutler Rd.
Miami, FL 33156

http://www.ftg.fiu.edu/