Botanical Conservatory Collections Database Project

Join us to support the Botanical Conservatory Collections Care Fund

Gifts to our campaign provide department support for the Botanical Conservatory, including our current priorities of purchasing plant database software and hiring a student intern to inventory the collection for a database that will be accessible to the public.

The UC Davis Botanical Conservatory is a living museum, a hub of conservation and biodiversity that teaches each visitor the importance of plants in society and ecosystems. For decades, the primary mission of the Botanical Conservatory has been to support classes and teaching on and off campus—not just plant and biological sciences, but writing, art, philosophy, theater, and engineering students all partake in the diverse collection and displays. The Botanical Conservatory houses roughly 4,000 species of plants.

With this large number of species, it is imperative that each plant has its data recorded, organized, and stored in a clear concise manner. Many plants in the collection are rare, and their records indicate important collection, cultivation, and propagation information invaluable to the conservation of the species.

With a dedicated student intern handling this task, we would be able to achieve the completion of the database in a year’s time. The skills gained by the student would be numerous. Having an accessible database with each plant’s data helps make the collection at UC Davis more valuable as a resource for teaching and research. By supporting the Botanical Conservatory’s Crowdfund project, donors can support a student intern and ensure this important inventory work is completed.