Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, this three year project will work in partnership with the Natural History Museum, The Sir Joseph Banks Society, Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union and the University of Lincoln to inspire a new generation of botanists; helping to safeguard our understanding of plants for the future.
Over the last 150 years the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union has compiled a huge collection of over 9,000 plant specimens, including some of Lincolnshire’s rarest plants. However, with no proper storage facilities available in Lincolnshire the collection is at serious risk of deterioration. Fortunately, as part of the National Lottery funded project the Natural History Museum in London have now received the collection, and will work to secure it safely in facilities designed for the protection of plant specimens while using state of the art imaging facilities to make these available to view online.
Inspired by Sir Joseph Banks, an eighteenth century Lincolnshire naturalist who famously voyaged around the world with Captain Cook, the project aims to enthuse the next generation of botanists by making a new archive of Lincolnshire’s plants; some of which will be retained and displayed at the Sir Joseph Banks Centre in Horncastle as well as the Natural History Museum. Through working with students at The University of the Lincoln, both the historic and 21st century collection will also provide a vital tool for scientific research into climate change and plant genetics; helping to address plant extinction on a local and national level.
Left to right: Liberty Gray (University of Lincoln MSc research student), Aidan Neary (Project Officer, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust), Richard Jefferson (Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union), and Fred Rumsey (Senior Curator at the Natural History Museum)
Volunteers will be vital to the Lincolnshire Plants project. Creating a present day collection of plant specimens will require people to visit all parts of Greater Lincolnshire under guidance from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. This citizen-science project will not only train volunteers in plant identification, it will also find a new role for threatened traditional archiving skills, ensuring that volunteers are trained in the collection, preparation and mounting of specimens as well as opportunities to gain skills in botanical illustration and photography. A series of lifelong learning events and public engagement will begin in spring 2018 and continue until autumn 2020.
We are delighted that National Lottery players have been able to support the preservation of Lincolnshire’s historic herbarium. The project offers a fantastic opportunity for local people to emulate Sir Joseph Banks, work with the Natural History Museum, create a new collection of flora for Lincolnshire, and inspire and train a new generation of botanists.Head of HLF East Midlands
If you'd like to know more about the #LoveLincsPlants project or would like to know how to get involved, head over to our dedicated web page, or give our social media pages a follow for the latest news and events.
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery and #HLFsupported.
