When packing for a plant exploration trip, it’s crucial to bring the right supplies to accurately both document the journey and the flora experienced—and to safely bring plant propagules back home.
For Arnold Arboretum expeditions, we sort supplies into four distinct categories related to the activities undertaken in the field. The first category is field documentation supplies, used to record information about sites visited and plants collected, and includes items such as journals, GPS units, and digital cameras. Second is herbarium supplies, used to preserve dried samples of plants allowing for taxonomic study and identity verification and include wooden presses, blotter paper, and newspaper. Third, propagation supplies, includes items used to collect seeds and living plant propagules, such as pole pruners, labels, and a multitude of bags of varying sizes and materials. The fourth category is personal items, which enable the collector to deal with the vagaries of the weather and travel across varied terrain, times zones, and cultures. A full packing list and discussion of plant exploration methods may be found in The Arnold Arboretum Expedition Tool Kit: A Reference Manual for Expedition Plant Collectors, by Robert Dowell and Michael Dosmann, available online.
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Plant exploration trips in which the Arnold Arboretum has participated.
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Different types of items suggested to pack on a plant exploration trip.
Miles Schwartz Sax is the assistant curator at the Arnold Arboretum.