UW-Madison Herbarium in Wisconsin State Journal

Those who read this blog know that I am a big fan of the UW-Madison Herbarium. It is a major resource for anyone doing restoration ecology and its web site is priceless. Check out the resources in other Midwestern states to see how lucky we in Wisconsin are.

Today, Saturday, January 31, 2009, the Wisconsin State Journal (on the front page!) has an important article on the Herbarium and its services. Check it out.

And then take a look at the Herbarium web site, which you can reach at this link.

It is worth a walk up Bascom Hill to see the Herbarium. When you get to the top, south of the Lincoln statue, is Birge Hall. Walk in the front door and there to your left is the imposing entrance to the Wisconsin State Herbarium. Follow the hall until you see the large room with the large filing cabinets. Each cabinet holds hundreds of specimens, and the Curators will be happy to let you see any species you are interested in.

According to the newspaper article, the Madison herbarium is the third largest in the country in a public university (after Berkeley and Ann Arbor). That may be true, but the web site of the Madison Herbarium is lots more user friendly!