Field to Database: Collecting Biodiversity Data in the Age of Global Databases August 3 – August 7

Dr. Joey Shaw, UC Foundation Professor of Biological Sciences, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga & Caleb Powell M.S. Candidate; The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

During this course, students will obtain a comprehensive understanding of how biological collections are made in the field and eventually uploaded to national and international data portals, like iDigBio or GBIF. We will help you to download and install important helpful apps and teach you how to use them in series to go from field to data portal. Students will leave the course having collected Plantae specimens, made labels, mounted specimens, and uploaded digital data to global portals. In addition to teaching and focusing on these skills, I can also help you to key out and identify plant species that you might encounter and want to collect in the field, although you should have some cursory skills.

Prerequisites & Prior Training: This course is designed for young professionals who will be making biological collections of plants or fungi (professors, conservation workers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and naturalists), although it would certainly be open and we would make it interesting to anyone with an interest in this subject. No previous experience is required. Depending on the different field trips, participants should be prepared to put in at least a couple 12-hour days. It would be great if you have had at least a class in Field Botany, Plant Taxonomy, Local Flora, or similar, but that is not necessary either.

Course Outcome: Leave having collected and digitizes Plantae specimens, including labels, transcribed text data & images.

Click here to apply.