Barrie Wilkinson
#LoveLincsPlants
Celebrating Lincolnshire's wonderful plants!
Plants are really important. We eat them, build with them, wear clothes made from them and breathe the oxygen they create.
From 2017 - 2021, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, together with partners, managed the LoveLincsPlants project with a goal to preserve Lincolnshire’s botanical heritage and inspire and train future botanists. With funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project has helped to preserve over 11,000 historic herbarium specimens whilst also creating a contemporary herbarium (plant archive) for the county.
As project partners embark on the legacy phase of the project (2022 - 2026) we aim to continue to develop the new herbarium with the help of local volunteers; creating a valuable scientific resource to understand how plants are responding to a changing environment.
Get involved
We're looking for volunteers! Help us to collect plant specimens to add to our contemporary herbarium by joining the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union on one of their field days, or learn how to mount a plant specimen to be added to the collection by volunteering at the Sir Joseph Banks Society.
Want to get involved but not sure how? Get in touch below!
Katrina Martin/2020VISION
Collecting plants
Learn how to identify and collect plants for the contemporary herbarium with the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Mounting specimens
Learn how to mount plant specimens for the herbarium with the Sir Joseph Banks Society.
Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION
Get in touch
Want to find out more about volunteering opportunities? Get in touch with our team!
I have a few specimens at home and really think that when mounted and once displayed are a work of art. What a great project idea and a wonderful way for the next generation to learn about botany.BBC Springwatch & University of Lincoln visiting professor
The University of Lincoln
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Melanie Howlett
Les Binns
The LoveLincsPlants project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is now in the legacy phase (2022 - 2026); working to develop the contemporary herbarium and seed bank with our project partners and volunteers across Greater Lincolnshire.
Take a look below to learn more about what we have achieved so far, download free resources or read our project reports.
Inspirational Plants
As part of the project, we highlighted 30 Inspirational Plants. They were selected for their human connection with the person who collected them. These Inspirational Plants form a collection which tells a story of the local flora and its importance personally.
Take a look at the collection below.
Resources
As part of our funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, find FREE project resources to download below. Whether you want to inspire your school group about plants and make your own class herbarium, or if you want help with identifying local trees; let's get excited about Lincolnshire's plants!
Herbarium Hub
From collection to pressing and mounting, learn how to create your own herbarium
Matthew Roberts
ID guides
Flick guide to identifying common species of tree in leaf and guides to seven plant families
Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
School resources
For KS1 and KS2 classes, free resources to get your class inspired about plants
LoveLincsPlants Summary Report
Take a look at some of the highlights of the project in our Summary Report, which captures some of our outstanding achievements over the last four years.
For a more in-depth look at our project journey, outcomes and future legacy work, you can download our Final Evaluation Report.
Thank you to our volunteers, partners and Lottery players for making it a success!
Project partners
As well as the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, other project partners include the Natural History Museum, Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union, Sir Joseph Banks Society and the University of Lincoln. Click below to browse our partners websites and find out more.
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum (NHM) in London is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. During the core phase of the project (2017 - 2021), NHM project staff have safeguarded over 11,000 historic herbarium specimens donated at the outset by the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union (LNU). These are a hugely valuable scientific resource for understanding environmental change. As part of the LoveLincsPlants project, the NHM team have provided invaluable advice and training on the herbarium process and will continue to accept contemporary specimens for the British and Irish Herbarium curated at the museum.
To view the historic and contemporary collections at NHM London go to the online Data Portal here.
Sir Joseph Banks Society
The Sir Joseph Banks Natural Science and Local Heritage Centre in Horncastle is home to the new Lincolnshire Herbarium. Working with volunteers, the Sir Joseph Banks Society aims to continue to develop the collection while processing duplicate specimens for the British and Irish Herbarium at NHM London.
To join their existing team of trained volunteers and to discover the art of herbarium mounting and curation visit www.joseph-banks.org.uk/volunteer or email volunteer@joseph-banks.org.uk for more information. You can also view the collection online here.
Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union (LNU)
The Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union (LNU) is the only amateur Natural History Society covering the whole of Lincolnshire. Members study, record, hold meetings, supply information, publish books, exhibit, discuss and learn.
As part of their ongoing outdoor field meetings, the LNU have taken on the lead role as coordinators of plant collection activities across Lincolnshire for the project legacy period (2022 - 2026).
If you want to get involved with plant collection and meet experienced botanists, why not join the LNU at one of their upcoming field meetings? Your specimens could end up at the Natural History Museum in London! Find out more here.
University of Lincoln
The LoveLincsPlants project continues to support the University of Lincoln's BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation degree. The degree aims to provide a broad understanding of the subject, encompassing the study of key aspects of modern ecology, evolution, and both plant and animal biology.
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust help to provide botanical expertise for students enrolled on the course. More information on this degree can be found here.
Keep in touch
Tel: 01507 526667
Email: lovelincsplants@gmail.com
