Tracy Aviary Plant Collection Instructions

Objective
Students will collect plants from around the Aviary Wetland.

Materials

1. Plant presses (check these out from WEST (www.earth.utah.edu/west) or build your own (you can find out how by searching Google).
2. Notebook paper.

Instructions

1. Have students draw a map of the wetland, or if they already have one, add details to it.

2. Have students collect small amounts of leaves connected to stems and branches (if available) or flowers and surrounding leaves.

3. Place the collected material between two sheets of newspaper with a label that indicates its specimen number. Write the specimen number on your map where you collected it from, so that you can tell where this plant comes from and can locate it in the future, if needed. After the first plant is collected place the wooden section over it before you collect your next specimen. After the plant press is filled, put your knee on the press, cinch down on the straps, and tie them together. Allow presses to sit for one week.

Outcome

Students will draw maps of the wetland to help survey the existing area. Each plant that is collected is pressed and its location is marked on the maps. Students then take the plant collections back to their school to identify with a dichotomous key. Students begin to get a clear picture of the existing wetland.

Download Word File of Plant Collection Instructions.

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