What is a herbarium? A herbarium is a collection of pressed plant specimens housed according to taxonomic group in airtight cabinets. Each specimen is identified to species and annotated with information about where and when it was obtained and who collected it. In a typical herbarium, local plants will be especially well-represented, however, most herbaria also contain a wide range of species from around the world. Herbaria usually also have a library of books on plant taxonomy and systematics, systematic monographs, regional floras, and technical publications of interest to herbarium users. Individual herbaria in universities or government institutions make up a connected network in which information and specimens are freely exchanged.

What is a herbarium used for? Most herbaria contain specimens collected throughout the history of botanical exploration in an area. As such, the herbarium documents not only current patterns of plant diversity but also how those patterns have changed throughout historical times. This kind of information is essential for understanding what our landscapes looked like before intensive human settlement and how our activities have altered plant communities. This record is useful for identifying special areas with particularly diverse plant communities for conservation. Our increasing ability to extract DNA from old plant tissues has also allowed us to use herbarium specimens as sources of DNA for molecular genetics, biotechnology and phylogenetics.

Who uses a herbarium? The three main purposes of a herbarium are research, teaching and public education. The collection is used by scientists and environmental consultants engaged in studies involving environmental impact, plant ecology, evolution, systematics and paleobotany. Many herbaria are also used by students in university courses or graduate research projects.

The collection in the Fowler Herbarium includes about 140,000 specimens, 75% of which are higher plants. The Kingston region is very well-represented, but the herbarium also contains excellent collections from the Canadian arctic and Russia.

The purpose of the Fowler Herbarium is to catalogue the biodiversity of plants in the Kingston region and make this information available to researchers, students and the general public. The herbarium is open to researchers and students from Queen's University and elsewhere and can be accessed by contacting the associate curator. The herbarium is also responsible for maintaining an electronic database and book of Plants in the Kinston Region. The herbarium also sponsors quarterly workshops on plant ecology and identification open to the general public.

You can browse this website arrange loans of books and specimens from the herbarium, search our online specimen databases, discover the history of plant collection at Queen's University, find out about herbarium events and publications, or travel to other botanical websites. Click on one of the items below to go somewhere.

• Borrow specimens from the herbarium
• Borrow books from the herbarium library
• Search the herbarium specimen databases
• Learn about the history of the Fowler herbarium
• View a list of herbarium publications
• Learn about upcoming herbarium workshops
• Get involved with the Friends of the Fowler Herbarium
• Learn how to collect herbarium specimens
• Visit related sites on the internet

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