Glenville State College students collecting, archiving plant samples
Glenville State College biology students Brittney Jenkins, Hannah Guthrie, and Emily Turner discuss tree foliage during a trip to Cedar Creek State Park with Science and Mathematics Department Lab Manager Chris Carver, second from left. (Photo Provided)
Hannah Guthrie, Emily Turner and Brittney Jenkins review plant samples in the Glenville State College herbarium. (Photo Provided)
Glenville State College biology students Brittney Jenkins, Hannah Guthrie, and Emily Turner discuss tree foliage during a trip to Cedar Creek State Park with Science and Mathematics Department Lab Manager Chris Carver, second from left. (Photo Provided)
Hannah Guthrie, Emily Turner and Brittney Jenkins review plant samples in the Glenville State College herbarium. (Photo Provided)
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GLENVILLE -- Biology students at Glenville State College are cataloging plant varieties found at Cedar Creek State Park.
Working under the guidance of assistant biology professor Jeremy Keene, students have been collecting samples and preparing them for archival in the college's extensive herbarium.
The ongoing project is part of a research-based class providing students with field experience that will be valuable upon graduation.
"We collect plant samples as a snapshot in time of what was growing or flowering at the state park. These specimens can be used over time to compare changes in the community like species diversity or flowering times," said Keene.
The project makes learning easier, said Brittney Jenkins, a junior biology major from Weston.
"I've always loved science," she said. "I actually came to GSC with college science credits, so it's just come naturally I guess."
Hannah Guthrie, a junior biology major from Rock Cave, said the program is valuable career preparation.
"This type of project gives us an idea of what we'll be doing when we're out, away from Glenville, in an actual 'in the field' situation," she said. "We're going step-by-step of what we would actually be doing."
The herbarium in the Science Hall contains several hundred plant samples with some specimens dating to the 1950s. Some pieces in the catalog were donated to the college, but most have been collected from the area by students.
Once the plant samples are collected, they are pressed by placing the sample between cardboard and blotting paper in a frame. They are then placed in a freezer to make sure any insect eggs are dead before the samples are mounted, labeled and brought into the collection, a process that takes several weeks.
"This kind of project allows students to explore natural areas and gain a better understanding of the biodiversity around them," Keene said. "Research experiences promote long-term knowledge and conservation needs of the ecosystem."