CSBR: Natural History: Making a large impact on a small herbarium: Integration of un-accessioned and orphaned specimens to secure and promote wider use of the collection

植物标本馆是植物多样性的不可替代的宝库，它记录了过去和现在的植物。这些收藏品是植物科学和科学政策的基础，特别是为农村社区服务的植物科学和科学政策。在这种情况下，植物标本馆是特别重要的数据来源，因为土地管理者需要关于本地和引进物种的信息，以及迅速变化的物种组合的影响。在为更大的科学界服务的同时，区域植物标本馆也更具体、更全面地为当地居民、农民、私人和政府决策者以及土地管理者服务。因此，植物标本馆准确地代表过去和现在的植物多样性至关重要。格鲁吉亚南方大学（GSU）植物标本馆拥有21，127个编目标本，并被安置在一个国家的最先进的建筑。然而，估计有26，500个维管植物标本（占藏品的55.6%）是无组织的，需要管理和整合，以实现其科学价值和用途。大部分未加入的材料来自格鲁吉亚沿海平原，这是一个相对较差的采样区域，拥有许多稀有和濒危物种。该奖项将使GSU能够整合两个最近获得的孤儿收藏品和其他积压的标本，使GSU植物标本馆的馆藏翻一番，并确保后代宝贵的科学收藏品的安全。通过这个项目，这些标本将被安装在植物标本馆的工作表上，有关标本的数据将被数字化，这将改善和保护标本的长期研究和教育。此外，该设施将更新必要的工具，为研究人员和学生提供访问最全面的收集植物多样性在该地区通过贷款，访问，和在线数据库。GSU植物标本馆有21,127个登记标本，但估计有26,500个标本记录东南格鲁吉亚沿海平原的区域多样性，包括稀有物种，来自稀少抽样地区的收藏品，以及萨凡纳植物标本馆的孤儿青年博物馆和斯图尔特堡的植物群，都无法用于研究和教育。这阻碍了整合当代收藏、重新组织收藏、整合命名变化和其他教育宣传举措的努力，迫切需要处理积压的收藏。该项目将通过将馆藏书信息转换为标签数据，将未收录的标本整合到主馆藏中。将对标本进行装裱和归档，并将标签数据上传到现有的在线数据库储存库，以增加其传播和使用。此外，重组和术语更新将确保收集的资料供今后使用，并便利查阅。该奖项将大大提高和确保一个独特的，具有历史意义的收藏，记录沿海平原的特殊植物多样性。将创建主动学习模块，以吸引高中和大一学生，同时整合STEM教育。该奖项将进一步允许植物标本馆通过参与指导学习环境来参与和培训GSU的多元化学生社区，并通过积极协助策展实践来获得对追求STEM职业至关重要的经验。结果可以在GSU植物标本馆的网站（sites.google.com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/gasherbarium/home）上查看，数据将通过iDigBio（www. idigbio.org）。

Herbaria are irreplaceable repositories of botanical diversity that catalog the occurrence of plants in the past and present. These collections serve as a foundation in plant science and science policy, especially those serving rural communities. In this setting, herbaria are especially important data sources because land managers require information on native and introduced species, as well as the effects of rapidly changing species assemblages. While serving the larger scientific community, regional herbaria also serve local residents, farmers, private and government policy makers, and land managers more specifically and thoroughly. It is therefore vital that herbaria accurately represent the past and present plant diversity. The Georgia Southern University (GSU) Herbarium holds 21,127 catalogued specimens and is housed in a state-of-the-art building. However, an estimated 26,500 vascular plant specimens (55.6% of the collection) are unorganized and in need of curation and integration to fulfill their scientific value and use. Most of this un-accessioned material comes from the Georgian Coastal Plain, a relatively poorly sampled region that harbors many rare and endangered species. This award will allow GSU to integrate two recently acquired orphaned collections and other backlogged specimens, doubling the GSU Herbarium's holdings and assure the security of an invaluable scientific collection for future generations. Through this project, these specimens will be mounted onto herbarium sheets and data about the collections will be digitized, which will improve and secure the collection for research and education over the long-term. Furthermore, the facility will be updated with the necessary tools to provide researchers and students access to the most comprehensive collection of plant diversity in the region through loans, visits, and online databases.The GSU Herbarium has 21,127 accessioned specimens, but an estimated 26,500 specimens documenting the regional diversity of southeastern Georgian Coastal Plain, including rare species, collections from sparsely sampled areas, and the orphaned Youth Museum of Savannah Herbarium and the Flora of Fort Stewart, are inaccessible for research and education. This impedes efforts to integrate contemporary collections, reorganize the collection, integrate nomenclatural changes, and other educational outreach initiatives, generating an urgent need to process the backlogged collection. The project will integrate un-accessioned specimens into the main collection by transferring collection book information into label data. Specimens will be mounted and filed, and the label data uploaded into existing online database repositories to increase their dissemination and use. In addition, reorganization and nomenclatural updates will secure the collection for future use and facilitate access. The award will greatly enhance and secure a unique, historically significant collection that documents the exceptional plant diversity of the Coastal Plain. Active-learning modules will be created to engage high school and freshman college students, while integrating STEM education. The award will further allow the Herbarium to engage and train GSU's diverse student community by participating in a mentored learning environment and gain experience crucial to pursuing STEM careers by actively assisting in curatorial practices. Results can be viewed on the GSU Herbarium's website (sites.google.com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/gasherbarium/home) and data will be shared and made available through iDigBio (www. idigbio.org).