Traditional fern collections
In this activity, students collect, press, mount and label ferns to develop a traditional herbarium. You may wish to do the activity ‘Alternative fern collections’ concurrently.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
understand the processes used for collecting, pressing, drying and mounting fern fronds
know what information to include on an identification label
understand why the documentation is important.
The value of early collections
Te Papa holds the plant collections of Sir Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and William Colenso, 3 of New Zealand’s earliest botanists. Dr Patrick Brownsey explains the significance and value of these collections.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
instructions on what you need and what to do
student instructions for creating a fern herbarium
extension ideas.
