An award has been made to the University of Idaho under the direction of Ms. Pamela Brunsfeld to purchase new storage cabinets for the plant collection of 175,000 specimens in two herbaria on campus to combine them for better accessibility and consolidate research resources. The move will increase the space for the plant collection by about 30% and provide for expansion of cabinet storage space for the collections. These collections provide important resources for land managers, researchers, and members of the public. The herbarium offers outreach opportunities for teaching an education of undergraduate and graduate students interested in plant science careers. Specimens are used in courses in botany, and in outreach teaching efforts for local school districts and plant-oriented organizations.
