Dear friends of the Emory University Herbarium:

We have some exciting things happening at the Emory University Herbarium! Our mission is to serve as a botanical research and educational resource for the Emory University and global community. We aim to foster understanding of the human-nature interface by collecting, preserving, researching and exhibiting botanical specimens and ethnobotanical objects. To meet these aims, we have engaged in several interesting projects this Spring:

• Our plant specimens are currently featured in the special exhibit: “Shakespeare’s Natural Worlds” at Woodruff Library on the second floor. See pictures of the exhibit and read more about it in the Emory News!
• Our students collected more than 170 new species to add to the Emory Herbarium collection during an alternative spring break trip to south Florida. Read about their experience in the field in a series of blog posts on the Destination Health EU blog!
• We have launched our fundraiser to save our rare plant Granite Rock Outcrop Collection on Emory’s crowdfunding platform: Momentum!

I’m writing because we need your help to raise both funds and awareness about our  rare plant Granite Rock Outcrop Collection project. We are currently funded only via philanthropic donations and must raise the necessary funds to make our conservation efforts for these rare plant samples a success. Here’s how you can contribute to these efforts:

• Donate to the project. Every donation, both large and small, can make a real and meaningful impact on our work! This is where our most immediate and urgent need is today.
• Spread news about the project. We need to get the word out! Please share this link with friends and your social media outlets: http://bit.ly/1WVGXCM
• Volunteer at the herbarium. We have one PhD botanist on staff to serve as the collections manager, but the rest of our work is performed by volunteers! We work with both students and members from the community in these efforts.

Thanks for your help and commitment to botanical research and education!

For the people and the plants,

Dr. Cassandra Quave

Curator, Emory Herbarium