Contact Johann de Bruin bankenveld.chair@sanparksvolunteers.org During a tour of the Skukuza Museum in 2022, the curator, Niskisha Singh, mentioned that the herbarium specimens needed to be electronically managed. Data needed to be captured digitally. This was not long after the University of Cape Town collections and library burned down and the importance of preserving information digitally became evident. Members of the Bankenveld Region immediately offered their assistance. The project entails barcoding and imaging of 16 000 pressed plant specimens that are housed in the Skukuza Herbarium facility. The animal, wet and dry collections collectively comprise 25 000 specimens. The specimens require specific storage conditions including temperature control and protection from fire and insects. A fire can be catastrophic. Members of Bankenveld Region hand over digitised data to Niskisha Singh (third from the left), Curator of the Biological Reference Collection at the Skukuza Museum. To date, members of the Bankenveld Region have captured data for about 4 000 herbarium specimens. Data for approximately 700 animal specimens have been partially captured without photos. This project is scheduled to run until 2026. Once completed, the digitised information will be accessible to scientists and researchers worldwide. This will be a significant step forward for science. SANParks Honorary Rangers 2024 137 SKUKUZA HERBARIUM PROJECT
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