Tiger lily; Lilium columbianum; https://beatytreasures.com/post/121692897218/tiger-lily
A herbarium is a museum of dried plant specimens. Herbaria provide a permanent record of our changing flora over time, documenting all plant species discovered so far, their variation, and their past and present distributions. These specimens also hold a treasure trove of anatomical, chemical, ethnobotanical, and molecular information, and document the history of plant exploration.
We are home to the largest herbarium in western Canada, holding more than 650,000 specimens, some dating back as far as 1804.
As the continued safety and well-being of our visitors, staff and volunteers is our highest priority we are not offering in person tours or activities at this time. The resources below will support your self-led exploration of the collection:
- Learn how to identify some local plant species with this guide, and keep track of your findings in this plant log.
- Linda Jennings, Collections Curator Vascular Plants, created this video series about common backyard plants, find the Backyard Biodiversity Playlist here.
- Test your knowledge of flower parts with this activity sheet.
- We have an online visitor guide and a printable floor plan map to help you find your way around the museum. You could also check out our virtual and audio tours in preparation for your visit.
- Share your images and biodiversity stories with us here, each month we will highlight some of the contributions at our ONLINE Nature Club session.
Would you like to learn more about vascular plants and ask questions of our museum team? Join us online on May 2.
This self-led exploration of the museum collections is recommended for families with children ages 5-12.
Thanks to our funders we are able to provide complimentary museum admission to campus families on Nature Club weekends. UBC Families can register for this month’s Online Nature Club for your free ticket promocode, other families are welcome to join us by registering in advance, and purchasing a museum admission or using your membership.
