Seven million specimens. Can you imagine that? That’s the staggering number housed within the walls of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium right here before us. This isn’t just any collection of plants. This is the fourth largest herbarium in the entire world. It’s the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
The Steere Herbarium is a treasure trove of botanical history. It’s the heart of the New York Botanical Garden’s research program. For nearly 200 research projects it serves as an invaluable resource. Garden scientists and students use it extensively. On average 150 visitors travel to New York annually to examine the collection. They spend a remarkable 1200 person-days each year poring over its contents.
Think of the journeys these plants have taken. From the lush rainforests of the New World to the arid deserts beyond. Each pressed leaf each carefully preserved flower tells a story. A story of adaptation resilience and the incredible diversity of life on Earth. The Steere Herbarium isn’t just a repository of specimens. It’s a living library of botanical knowledge.
Beyond its sheer size the Steere Herbarium boasts another impressive feat. It actively loans out 30000 to 50000 specimens each year to scientists at other institutions. Imagine the collaborative research projects fueled by this generosity. It truly embodies the spirit of scientific collaboration.
But it’s not just about the physical specimens. The Steere Herbarium is also at the forefront of digital innovation. A virtual herbarium is underway. It aims to digitize all seven million plus specimens. This makes this incredible resource accessible to researchers worldwide. This effort reduces the need to ship physical specimens for study.
This ambitious project not only makes the collection more accessible. It also ensures the long-term preservation of this invaluable legacy. A legacy that will continue to inspire and inform generations of scientists and botanists to come. So look around you. We are standing before a monument to scientific endeavor. A place where the past present and future of botany converge. The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium. A truly remarkable place.