Hi Steve: If folks are interested I could put an Excel spreadsheet together for everyone to take a look at. Having briefly skimmed the responses to my comments yesterday, the important point that I did not sufficiently clarify is that this data is critically needed when collections are passed from one collection holder to others. Spreadsheets or databases eliminate the issues of indecipherable handwriting - a characteristic to which I am particularly prone :) Many thanks, Boyce Tankersley On Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 5:19 PM, Steve Marak <samarak@gizmoworks.com> wrote: > Boyce, > > Do you have such a template for use with Excel or know where one might > be found? Failing that, what information, from most critical to least, > would you want to see kept for material in a private collection? > > Thanks, > > Steve > > On 1/16/2014 4:57 PM, Boyce Tankersley wrote: > > Hi All: > > > > Several years ago (about 8 if memory serves) Jane McGary, Robert Pries, > Jim > > Shields and I informally discussed the challenges of incorporating > private > > plant collections into botanic gardens and/or the NAPCC. The challenges > > identified back then are still valid today - and they have done an > > excellent job of elucidating them. The point that Dennis Kramb makes > about > > the longevity of his collections related to their hardiness in his > climate > > has corollaries in the botanic garden world as well. Non-hardy > > containerized plants are more susceptible to over/under watering and > > heating systems that break down in winter, as well as other environmental > > factors critical to survival, and for this reason Chicago Botanic Garden > > (and I believe most if not all of the other NAPCC collection holders) > have > > avoided them (Paul Licht, can you think of any exceptions?). > > > > The American Public Gardens Association organized and maintains the North > > American Plant Collections Consortium. It is the closest thing we have > to > > the British National Collections in the USA and Canada. An important > part > > of the collection application requires the legal commitment of the Board > of > > Directors to provide the resources needed to maintain the Collections > > indefinitely or until they can pass the collection onto another > > institution. The absence of the equivalent of a Board of Directors for > > private collection holders is not an issue that can be easily overcome. > > > > As a result of the discussions with Jane, Rob and Jim, I mentored several > > private collection holders in an effort to create the kind of > documentation > > that needs to be passed onto future care holders. Most of them did not > > have the resources (time, interest and/or knowledge of computer > > databases/spreadsheets) necessary to create these records. The missing > > piece of the puzzle wasn't the scientific or biological value of the > > collections or the knowledge of the critical information about each > > accession but rather an individual who was interested and able to work > with > > the collection holder over a period of time to get all of the information > > recorded on their behalf. > > > > A database for this purpose doesn't have to be fancy. In fact, for most > > private collections, I would recommend using a spreadsheet application > like > > Excel. From my perspective, the *critical* point is that all private > > collection holders must utilize a template that incorporates the names > for > > the fields (columns) that is current usage in the botanic > garden/biological > > collections world. This insures that if an opportunity presents itself > in > > the future to more formally recognize these collections and make their > data > > available to the scientific community the information would be easily > > transmissible. > > > > Best wishes to all from a very snowy and cold Chicago. > > > > Boyce Tankersley > > Director of Living Plant Documentation > > Chicago Botanic Garden > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 6:06 PM, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net > >wrote: > > > >> Robert Pries wrote > >>> There is a new initiative occurring in the American Public Gardens > >>> Association. It is a system of National Collections similar to the > >>> British System. These collections are meant to preserve the genetic > >>> diversity within the nation. The USA is far behind in this effort, > >>> compared to the British. A major component of the system is a will > >>> that allows for the transfer of a collection to another new or > >>> existing National Collection Holder. Many years ago I tried to talk > >>> with the Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboretums. They were > >>> not interested in working with private plantsmen. I believe this is > >>> partly due to a vocal scam artist who was milking plantsman at the > >>> time for plants he could sell in his nursery by claiming to run a > >>> National Collection System. > >> The aforementioned person also contacted me, but I found him so > >> annoying that I turned him away. > >> > >> I'm sure our British members will have things to say about the > >> National Collections program. I've heard a lot about it and also have > >> a book on it. I know that some of the British National Collections > >> are wonderful, well-curated resources, but I've also encountered > >> people who had, or wanted to have, a National Collection but seemed > >> not to know enough about what they were collecting. Such a program is > >> vulnerable to various kinds of conflict. > >> > >> On the other hand, the idea of a database of private collections has > >> been discussed previously on this forum. I wouldn't mind contributing > >> my data to a project like that. > >> > >> Jane McGary > >> Portland, Oregon, USA > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> pbs mailing list > >> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > >> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > >> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >