An online herbarium years in the making has officially been launched by Bundaberg Regional Council in the lead up to Botanic Gardens Day.
A herbarium holds a record of plants and provides research and reference material for horticulturalists, botanists and more.
Parks and Gardens portfolio spokesperson Cr Wayne Honor said over the years staff and volunteers have collected plant specimens including leaves and flowers found within the Botanic Gardens.
“These specimens have been carefully dried, mounted and kept in storage along with photographs and information about each plant,” he said.
“Staff have digitised the collection and now it has been made freely available to the community.”
Cr Honor said more than 60 plant specimens were featured in the herbarium, ranging from the many eucalyptus varieties to banksia, macadamia and more.
“Think of this online herbarium as a dictionary of the plant world found in the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens,” he said.
“This database of information not only keeps a long-lasting record of our local flora, but also helps with identification and provides an overview of how our natural area changes over time.
“This collection, which will be continually added to, will assist in scientific research and provide a reference point for those interested in botany.”
The herbarium has been made available online just in time to celebrate the annual Botanic Gardens Day on Sunday 29 May.
The nation-wide event sheds light on the role plants play in every day and the important work botanic gardens undertake to conserve them for future generations.
View the herbarium here.
A big thank you to Tim Rich and volunteer Arthur Blundell for all your hard work, research and many hours of recording all the information required to make the herbarium a viable resource. Recognition would be sweet and hoping other staff are taking up their botanical studies in this much need field.