iridos vol.21 no.2 2010
DESCRIPTION
Iridos is the color magazine published by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (www.brit.org). It is a friendly and readable way to learn news and information about BRIT research, education, publications, people, events and activities.TRANSCRIPT
Impressions in shades of Green
a publication of the botanical research institute of texasvolume 21, no. 2, 2010
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I watch in disbelief as the BRIT building has mushroomed at the corner of University and Harley. There is
disbelief and quite a bit of amazement as to how we have gotten here. It does not seem that long ago that I came down from Washington, D.C., leaving my job as Senior Biodiversity
Adviser for the Agency for International Development. As I have said before, there were only three staff members, an operating budget of under $175,000, a collection of about 400,000 specimens, and no outside grant or contract money. BRIT is now about 30 staff, an operating budget of over $2 million, a plant collection of over one million specimens, and a number of projects funded by several agencies and foundations.
I chose to accept this job, because I wanted to be part of the creation of one of the best collections-based research and conservation organizations in the world, and I saw potential in both the institute and the city of Fort Worth.
So, a number of years back we started this journey toward a new building. A building we needed to better implement our mission and to take better care of our collections. At the time, I could not possibly have imagined that it would
Director’s\Note
5 BRIT Members Preview
6 Ready to Sing Big Bottles in Cowtown?
8 Journal’s Pages Promise the Best of Botany’s Recent Discoveries
10 An Interview with David Fisk
13 BRIT Botanist Barney Lipscomb Receives 2010 Peter H. Raven Award
14 “With a Name Like Wormwood… it’s Got to be Good.”
16 Get Smart: An Interview with Richard Smart
19 Program To Outline How BRIT’s New Headquarters Selected As Pilot “Sustainable Site”
20 BRIT Takes Library Style to a New Level
22 The Finish Line: Peer Review Coaches Lend Insight to BRIT’s Strategic Planning
23 2010 Annual Event
24 Princeton University Press Publishing Seeds of Amazonian Plants: Research Updates
26 BRIT Donors
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)
Sy Sohmer
A Long Wonderful Journey… Not Y et Over!evolve in such a magnificent way. This 70,000 square foot edifice is divided into an “Archives Block” for the collections and library and a “Think Block” for research, education, the public, press, and administration/development.
The roof will feature a subset of the native Fort Worth Prairie and, at ground level, one will step out the back door onto a restored native prairie. Green all the way around: geothermal wells, solar panels (on the flat roofed Archives Block), an interior designed from sustainable materials, water conservation features in and out, and lots of natural light coming from mostly north-facing windows. However, most important of all, the building will house a staff dedicated to conservation, sustainability, and disseminating information about those issues to the public. This information is designed to help in the global struggle to conserve biodiversity and thereby (with no exaggeration) save the world. And this dynamic staff, of necessity, is growing since we will have a building with functions that we did not have before. We are in the process of hiring positions to support a more public-oriented organization, including several individuals from a restricted gift for a new education program honoring the memory of Suzy Peacock.
And one of the most important and significant of the new hires is Dr. Will McClatchey, formerly Professor of
Botany at the University of Hawai`i, who joined us in July to be our Vice President and Director of Research. I have a suspicion that Will has joined us for the same reasons I joined BRIT back when there was literally nothing much to show. He has left a tenured position as he wants to be part of this organization because, in his own words:
“The Botanical Research Institute of Texas is the most exciting, new organization in the world of botany…BRIT is developing state-of-the-art capabilities for the study of plants in the wild and in human communities, with focuses on field research, understanding whole organisms and ecosystems, and working with people. I believe that this is the core strength of botanical research and where we can make the greatest contributions to society. I will be promoting an interdisciplinary team approach to research that encourages researchers to work together to address larger problems that are beyond the scope of any single scholar.”
And so the exciting journey continues.
table of contents
iridosA publication of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas500 East 4th Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102
www.brit.org817.332.4441; Metro 817.429.3200; Fax 817.332.4112
Robert J George, EdiTor
consulTanTsIridos Design - Jennifer Henderson, JODesignIridos Editorial - Paige Hendricks, PHPR
BriT sTaFF
S.H. SohmerPRESIDENT AND C.E.O.
Patricia Harrison,VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Cleve LancasterVICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Will McClatcheyVICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Jason BestDIRECTOR OF BIODIVERSITY INFORMATICS
Chris ChiltonDIRECTOR OF MARKETING & PR
Judy JonesDIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
Barney LipscombDIRECTOR OF THE PRESS
Amanda NeillDIRECTOR OF THE HERBARIUM
Amanda Stone NortonDIRECTOR OF THE TEACHER LEARNING CENTER
distribution is free to those providing support to BriT. comments and suggestions are welcomed and may be sent to the editor at [email protected].
Conveying an unwritten message with flowers was prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries and was known as “the language of flowers.” Iridos (the Greek word for Iris) was the messenger of the ancient Greek gods. Iridos was chosen as the title of the magazine to carry BRIT’s message.
Mission: To conserve our natural heritage by deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving public understanding of the value plants bring to life.
All photos by BRIT staff unless otherwise noted
©2010 Botanical Research Institute of Texas
Though my tenure with Iridos has been relatively short, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment in the completion of at least one small circle. When I took on this role in addition to my duties here at BRIT, I had no idea what it might entail (I’m sure my high school English teachers would be quite chagrined at my appointment!). Luckily, I’ve had a lot of help from others who knew what they were doing.
My first Iridos was Volume 18, Number 1 in 2007 – just three short years ago. For the cover, I selected a photograph of a TCU graduate student standing in the middle of a Peruvian palm swamp with a machete in his hand. It seemed like a good photo to me, and I was just throwing things out there to see what would happen. Well, it seems the photo was quite a hit, and several readers commented that the magazine’s narrative was entertaining as well.
The student in the photograph is Ethan Householder, and his article in that Iridos was a personal diary of his experiences in the palm swamps of Peru, studying several species of vanilla orchids. Fast-forward to this issue and, as you’ll read on page nine, he’s the senior author of a ground-breaking article in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas about, of course, vanilla orchids.
Looking over the piece, I was surprised to learn that there is much we still don’t know about this economically important and exotic plant. I imagine we’ll hear a lot about vanilla orchids from this remarkable young man who now seems right at home in the palm swamps of Peru, thanks to BRIT.
Others published in the Journal include Rebecca Repasky Luke, a TCU alumna who went to Peru some years ago under the auspices of BRIT and is also senior author of an article on orchids in the Peruvian cloud forest. She delves into the dynamics of the many species of orchids that grow in this specific habitat.
There are, in fact, several more budding, young scientists who’ve passed through the BRIT gate to a whole new world. It’s encouraging, as I’m sure you as a BRIT supporter will agree, to see young people taking these particular paths to a career. In the current scientific climate, in which research is often focused on delving deeper and deeper into life at the cellular level, we are continually grateful for those interested in researching the many unknown complexities of the organism as a whole. Please help us encourage them on their much-needed journeys, and keep reading about their successes as we complete more circles here at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
the Editor,
Robert J George
Patrons,
FronT covEr: Sisters Norah and Olivia Harrison explore the North Texas Prairie flora. With the expansion of our facilities and the opening of our new building, BRIT expects more and more community members to enjoy numerous public programs.
Back covEr: A breath of fresh air: Norah Harrison pauses for a bee balm (Monarda sp.) moment.
PHoTo crEdiT: Front cover by Keri McNew Barfield,Back cover by Tiana Franklin
On Saturday, May 20, 2011, you may f ind yourself strolling through a prairie or watching bird and butterf ly visitors land on a living roof. Or, you may be seated in an amphitheatre on stones that replay the sequence of geologic history leading to present-day Fort Worth. Or, perhaps you ’ ll become a citizen scientist
mounting a pressed plant onto a sheet of archival paper.
Whatever engages you, you’ll be enjoying activities planned
to celebrate the public opening of BRIT’s new headquarters
adjacent to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
As we continue the journey from now to then, a number
of events await. We’re encouraging everyone who appreciates
BRIT’s mission to join in as we bring this beautiful new building
to the Fort Worth Cultural District. As a gesture of thanks to
building campaign contributors, we’re scheduling several special
events and recognition ceremonies. Now is the perfect time to
contribute so you won’t miss one exciting moment.
Why not consider adding your name to the magnificent living
roof atop BRIT’s new home? Your name will join those invited
to attend a reception and tour of the new building before the
public opening. On or before the building’s public opening day,
you can join BRIT.
Becoming a member or making a gift is easy – and it’s
important to BRIT’s success. More details will come to you
in September when we mail a personal letter asking for your
support. If you want to contribute now, visit the BRIT website.
There, you’ll find an immediate opportunity to make an
investment in BRIT’s future. Or give us a quick phone call or
write a note to BRIT, and we’ll arrange a pledge for your future
or ongoing support.
The choice is yours. Simply find the easiest way to
contribute. We want you to be with us as we plan for and then
open the doors to this new destination in Fort Worth’s cultural
and botanical heart.
by clevelancaster
Memberships Offer First Looks at BRIT’s New Fort Worth Cultural District Home
, . ,
TCUStudent Ethan
Householder in his
preferred habitat, the
palm swamps of the
Madre de Dios region in
southeastern Peru
TCUStudent Ethan
Householder in his
preferred habitat, the
palm swamps of the
Madre de Dios region in
southeastern Peru
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Get ready!
BRIT’s 2010
Fête du Vin™ Wine
Dinner and Auction
will feature big bottles (of
wine) in Cowtown the evening
of Friday, October 8, at 7 p.m. at the
elegant Fort Worth Club. That’s when
Fête committee chairman Dwight
Cumming will officially declare
“auction on,” and the big bottles –
some as large as six liters – will be
available to the highest bidder, all for
the betterment of BRIT.
Established in 2007, the Fête du Vin
Wine Dinner and Auction is an annual
event to benefit BRIT research and
activities. Held each fall, the Fête is a
signature black-tie affair where guests
enjoy a festive evening featuring fine
wines, haute cuisine, and silent and
live auctions of remarkable finds.
Unique to this event, guests are
encouraged to bring their favorite
wines to share and compare.
“With BRIT looking at a 2011 move
into its new home in Fort Worth’s
Cultural District, we’ve pulled out
the stops for this year’s Fête,” said
Cumming. “It’s going to be the
“WOW” benefit event of the year.” He
adds, “Our committee members have
done an outstanding job in planning
and organizing this event. The wine
connoisseurs on BRIT’s planning
committee have secured an enviable
list of wines for auction and have set a
new benchmark in acquiring an array
of rare and hard-to-get wines for both
the silent and live auctions. We’ll be
featuring in a few of our auctions,
three and six liter sizes of major label
vintners.”
Wine lovers will have a shot at
big bottles from the foremost, and
certainly the most storied, red wine
region in the world, Bordeaux,
France. The event’s silent auction
Chris recently joined BRIT as Director
of Marketing and Public Relations. He
has held director and v.p.-level marketing
positions in technology and professional
services industries for the last twenty years
and currently applies his knowledge to non-
profit marketing. RJG
bychris
chilton
will be studded with magnums (the
equivalent of two regular bottles),
double magnums (the equivalent of
four regular bottles), and imperials (the
equivalent of eight regular bottles) from
outstanding chateaux, including the
legendary Chateau Mouton Rothschild,
one of only five Premier Cru estates in
the Medoc region of Bordeaux.
Other offerings will include bottles
from the historic Chateau
Talbot, one of the leading
wine estates in the St.
Julian commune in the
Medoc and Chateau
Prieuré Lichine from the
Margaux commune in the
same region.
“Most wine collectors
would be hard-pressed to
find and purchase wines
of this quality in these
sizes,” Cumming adds.
“Just seeing these bottles
assembled in one place is
worth the price of admission.”
This year the Fête also follows
in BRIT’s tradition of honoring
individuals and organizations whose
contributions and leadership best
reflect BRIT’s core principles of
conservation, sustainability, and wise
stewardship of the land, presenting its
first International Award of Excellence
in Sustainable Winegrowing™. The
inaugural recipient will be HALL
Wines of St. Helena, California.
“As an international botanical
research institute, BRIT created the
International Award of Excellence
in Sustainable Winegrowing to
recognize viticulturists (winegrowers)
and viniculturists (winemakers)
throughout the world who reflect
BRIT’s core principles of conservation,
sustainability, and wise stewardship of
the land,” said S. H. Sohmer, Ph.D.,
FLS, BRIT’s president and director.
“We are delighted to present BRIT’s
inaugural award to HALL Wines, a
most worthy recipient.”
HALL Wines of St. Helena
in the Napa Valley was the first
winery in California to receive
the gold certification in the
U.S. Green Building Council’s
LEED® (Leadership in Energy
& Environmental Design) Green
Building Rating System™.
Established in 2005, HALL Wines
embraces environmentally responsible
practices in their vineyards, general
operations, winery complex and
internal spaces, as well as in the
community and beyond.
BRIT’s new award
hopes to help
inspire the interest
and participation
of wineries and
vineyards committed to
sustainable winegrowing
and winemaking and
attract progressive
and passionate wine
organizations from
around the world.
“By motivating all
wine organizations to
implement sustainable
practices, we begin the effort to
openly share ideas as part of the
greater ecological balance and
conservation of biological diversity,”
said Sohmer.
Big bottles, big award, big fun, all at
BRIT’s annual Fête. It promises to be
an affair to remember.
Ready to Sing Big Bottles in
Cowtown?
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Science never stops moving forward,
producing a constant stream of progress
to report and discuss. With each new
edition, the Journal of the Botanical
Research Institute of Texas hits the
newsstand with a remarkable amount
of new information and discoveries to
share. Many issues, like the current
Volume 4, Number 1, bulge with over
500 pages containing more than 50
articles. And the Journal, which comes
out twice a year, is only one of many
botanical journals produced each year.
Let’s take a look at BRIT’s latest issue.
The discovery and naming of new
species is a frequent topic in the Journal,
and this issue reveals 28 new species.
Yes, you read that right – 28 new
species! The Journal exhibits its true
international colors with this featured
research: New species were discovered
not only in three states in the United
States, but also in Mexico, several
countries in Central and South America,
the West Indies and India. These new
species are pieces that join hundreds of
others published in other journals as we
work to complete the vast jigsaw puzzle
of plant life on our planet Earth.
In addition, the current issue includes
six “Plants New To…(Insert location
here)” articles. These plant species are
not new to science. Instead, they’re
known plants discovered in totally
new geographic areas. In the article
“Plants New to Florida” botanists have
discovered 32 new plant types (species,
varieties, or subspecies) in Florida
alone! Of these 32, 26 are in fact newly
identified as continental U.S. residents.
Why is this information important?
One reason is that 25 of the newly-
relocated plant types are escapees –
garden plants that broke free and have
integrated themselves into the general
wild population. Based on many past
examples, botanists fear that these
escapees could have the potential to run
amuck by reproducing and populating
an area to the point of upsetting the
balance of our natural environment.
In addition to keeping up with the
latest relocations and research, the
Journal also features articles in the
“The Checklist of…” category. The
“Annotated Checklist of the Vascular
Plants of Fort Hood, Texas,” for example,
provides a detailed, annotated list of
scientific plant names followed by
habitat descriptions and, in some cases,
plant specimen numbers. While not
the sexy side of botany, it is one of the
main foundations of a flora, which is a
guide to all the plants of a region. Like
any list, the botanical checklist may
lack fascination in and of itself, but it
is the primary organizational task in
many botanical endeavors. So to those
who spend hours in the field, library,
herbarium, and at the keyboard, we
say thank you for these foundational
works that add to the catalogue of life
on our planet.
Others deserve our thanks as well,
especially when discoveries have a
broad general appeal.
The sexy part of Volume 4, Number
1 shares that the wonderful spice
vanilla comes from an orchid, the
romantic flower whose seedpod is
the vanilla bean. One Journal article
discusses orchids in the Peruvian cloud
forest, while another introduces an
international team of BRIT researchers
from the U.S. and Peru studying six
different species of vanilla.
Vanilla-producing orchids grow in the
wetlands of Peru, climbing the trunks of
palms like green trellises. If this sounds
familiar, it’s because we occasionally
return to the topic of vanilla and the
wetlands. This time, we divulge up-
to-the-moment facts about this plant’s
diversity and natural history. Ethan
Householder and Rebecca Repasky,
the senior authors of the orchid
articles, are both former TCU students
and BRIT student interns who made
their way to Peru through BRIT.
If you’re interested in reading more
about these fascinating discoveries,
come to the BRIT library and browse
through a copy of the Journal, or go
online at www.brit.org/brit-press/jbrit/
current/.
Journal’s Pages Promise the Best of Botany’s Recent Discoveries
Householder et al., Diversity, natural history, and conservation of Vanilla 229
Annual average rainfall ranges between approximately 2,000 and 3,500 mm. Rainfall is unevenly distributed throughout the year, with greater than 80% falling between October and April. Average daily temperature ranges from 21 to 26°C. Southerly cold fronts from Patagonia, known as “ friajes,” are com-mon from June through August, rapidly decreasing temperatures by 10°C or more in a matter of minutes;
Fig. 1. Location of study region.
by robert george
Shaded area is study region for vanilla
orchid article.
Ethan HouseholderRebecca Repasky Luke
Botanical Research Instiute of TexasProject TitleNot to scaleScaleMarch 24th 2010Date Drawing Title
BRIT: Fort Worth Wetland PlantingsPlant Selection
Whorled MarshpennywortHydrocotyle verticillata
Lanceleaf Frogfruit Lippia lanceolata (= Phyla lanceolata)
Cherokee Sedge Carex cherokeensis
Lean Flatsedge Cyprus setigerus
Hairy FimbryFimbristylis puberula
Texas RushJuncus texanus
KnotgrassPaspalum distichum
CamphorweedPluchea camphorata
Giant Goldenrod Solidago gigantea
MEDIUM
Creeping Water-primrose Ludwigia repens
Emory’s Caric Sedge Carex emoryi
Shrubby Water-primrose Ludwigia octovalvis
Water Smartweed Polygonum amphibium
LOW (more water)
WatershieldBrasenia schreberi
Yellow Pond-lily Nuphar lutea
WATER PLANTS ON PONDSmall-tooth Caric SedgeCarex microdonta
Sand SpikerushEleocharis montevidensis
Wild Onion Cherokee SedgeAllium canadense var. fraseri
Bluebell Gentian Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum
Giant CaneArundinaria gigantea
Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
HIGH (Dryer)
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Q. A unique feature of the new headquarters building is the “living
roof.” Sometimes this feature is called a “green roof.” Is there a difference and how is it beneficial?
A. Basically both terms are interchangeable, but each term sets
different expectations. When you say “green roof” it conjures up a planted roof area that is always green. That can be an unrealistic expectation here in Texas with long periods without significant rain. A “living roof” is an accurate way to describe roof plantings that
are more drought tolerant and subsequently
will sometimes look dry. The plants are living,
not necessarily green.
A living roof is beneficial because it reflects
heat and reduces energy use. Rain water is
absorbed by the plants and reduces runoff.
Any runoff not absorbed is collected and piped
to a retention pond.
Q. Discuss the benefits of the building’s
two renewable energy sources – a
photovoltaic system and a geothermal system.
A. The photovoltaic system is different than what you normally see. The array
on the herbarium roof lies flat, not tilted, which is a more efficient use of space. The array, which covers 6,000 square feet, will generate 52 kilowatts of electricity, providing more than 12.5 percent of on-site renewable energy.
The geothermal system will use a small amount of energy to pull water through a closed loop system from 166 wells 256 feet deep in the ground to both heat and air-condition the BRIT building. BRIT will be nearly
50 percent more efficient in energy use than the baseline standard of ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).
Q. What are some of the building’s design features that increase energy efficiency?
A. It is a constant struggle to balance providing adequate sunlight and views
and avoiding heating up a building. The BRIT headquarters will have large windows on the north side and smaller windows on the south, east, and west sides. Sunshades on the outside also help with energy efficiency.
The outside “envelope” of the building is highly insulated. Computer modeling by Corgan Associates and Summit Consultants, Inc. determined the appropriate amount of insulation to meet the energy code and LEED rating system.
Inside, all potable water is managed – sinks with automatic shutoffs, waterless urinals, and low-flow toilets.
Q. How does BRIT’s new campus landscape ensure it is a good steward of water?
A. The landscape is designed to retain, clean, and reuse storm runoff. Hard
surfaces such as the parking lot and driveways drain to a sidewalk made of a permeable material. Water will flow into landscaped areas — a bioswale of sandy loam and plants — which help filter the water and that which isn’t absorbed flows into a perforated pipe system and then to a retention pond. Runoff from the living roof also flows to the retention pond. It will be a huge savings in water usage because no potable water is used to irrigate.
Q. How has Beck minimized on-site construction impact? How have
materials from the previous building been recycled or reused?
A. It is Beck’s standard practice to segregate materials such as steel,
wood, sheetrock, and concrete at the site and this is communicated to all our subcontractors. Not everything can be recycled, some is just trash, but the demo
materials from the public health building were 97 percent recycled, equating to more than 9,300 tons. Throughout the remainder of construction, we are planning to divert 75 percent of the construction waste from landfills.
Using local materials is a standard construction practice with Beck. This not only reduces transportation costs, but carbon footprint. More than 20 percent of the materials used at BRIT will be regional material. We typically exceed the LEED credit threshold of 20 percent regional material.
Q. What are some of the sustainable materials used in the construction of
the building?
A. We basically use two types of materials: recycled and rapidly
renewable. Recycled includes structural steel — rebar. A lot of current construction uses a high percentage of recycled steel. Fly ash — a byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity — is used as a replacement for cement in ready-mix concrete. Cement can be (continued on next page)
As a living demonstration of its conservation mission, the
new BRIT headquarters currently under construction will
be the first building in Tarrant County and one of the few
in Texas to achieve the platinum level in the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System™ given by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Seeking this highest level of “green” has been BRIT’S top
priority from the beginning. In an interview with David Fisk,
senior project manager with The Beck Group, the prime
contractor, he discusses the many environmentally friendly
features of the 70,000 square foot building and its 12 acres.
The sustainable design strategies integrated in BRIT’s new
headquarters contribute to credits needed to earn the platinum
designation. Fisk is a LEED accredited professional.
AN INTERVIEW WITH
DAVID FISK
Patsy Miller is a member of BRIT and one of our volunteers. RJG
bypatsymiller
Achievement
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The American Society of Plant
Taxonomists (ASPT) presented its 2010
Peter H. Raven Award to Barney L.
Lipscomb, the Dorothea L. Leonhardt
Chair of Texas Botany at the Botanical
Research Institute of Texas (BRIT).
Mr. Lipscomb is also head of BRIT’s
scientific press.
He received the award at ASPT’s
annual meeting on Tuesday, August
3, 2010, at the Biltmore Hotel in
Providence, Rhode Island. ASPT, which
promotes research and teaching of
taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny
of vascular and nonvascular plants,
presents the international award
annually to an individual who has made
exceptional efforts at outreach to non-
scientists.
“Barney is a consummate
communicator,” said S. H. Sohmer,
BRIT’s president and director. “In
addition to being a prolific writer,
editor, and lecturer for the scientific
community, he has created imaginative
approaches to convey the importance of
taxonomy to non-scientists.”
With a career spanning 35 years,
he’s become known as a botanical
ambassador. He is “Barney the Botanist”
to area grade school and high school
students, and is well known for his
multimedia presentation “Murderous
Plants: Poisonous Herbs,” which he
delivers to civic organizations, arts
groups, and businesses. Since the
inception of BRIT in 1987, he has given
nearly 600 talks and over 200 BRIT
learning tours to master gardeners,
garden clubs, horticultural groups, native
plant societies, and special-interest plant
groups (including orchid, cactus, fern
and begonia societies), reaching close to
52,000 people. This is an average of 1.5
lectures/tours every week for 22 years!
Through his editorship and research,
Barney is one of the best-known
botanists in Texas. He co-authored
Shinners & Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of
North Central Texas, a 1,640-page, fully
illustrated, comprehensive guide to a
large portion of the diverse plant life of
Texas, and Vol. 1 of a three-volume flora,
the Illustrated Flora of East Texas. Both
books serve as textbooks for students of
botany and plant taxonomy. In addition,
he has authored more than 30 scientific
publications.
His long-standing association with the
North Texas Poison Control Center led
to his work in forensic botany. His 1998
co-authored article, “The Use of Animal-
Dispersed Seeds and Fruits in Forensic
Botany,” chronicles his success in
having provided botanical evidence and
testimony that was crucial in convicting
the kidnapper and molester of a two-
year-old child in Fort Worth.
Please join with BRIT in
congratulating Barney on the recognition
of his years of achievement.
BRIT BotanistBarney LipscombReceives 2010 Peter H. Raven Awardfrom American Society of Plant Taxonomists
replaced with between 20 to 50 percent fly ash. Sinker cypress logs are logs that didn’t make it to the mill when floated down a river. Construction firms are making an effort to recycle these orphaned logs. A feature wall at BRIT will be made of sinker cypress.
Rapidly renewable materials include bamboo, which will be used on the ceiling. Wool, which is more environmentally friendly than nylon — a petroleum product — will be used for carpeting. Linoleum, which is made from linseed, is renewable and used instead of vinyl.
Q. What materials were used for optimum occupant health?
A. Attention was paid to the environment inside the building for the end user. Not
only for immediately after the building is open for use — the fresh paint smell, for example
— but for the health of the workers who are at their desks for decades to come. Thus, environmentally-friendly adhesives, sealers, stains, glues, binders, paints and even plywood were chosen. While work is going on, care is given to cover ductwork and soft surfaces and clean stud cavities so pollutants aren’t carried room to room when the air conditioning is turned on. The end result is when you walk into the new building, there will be very little new building smell.
Q. What is the future of sustainable urban construction — for Beck and
the U.S. in general?
A. There will be more and more sustainable construction in the future.
In 2001 it was very difficult to build a LEED-certified building. Subcontractors and industry manufacturers were hard to work with.
When I received my LEED AP certification in 2006, I had already built two LEED buildings. Today it is easier to check subcontractors’ and manufacturers’ sustainability data on their websites, and they are more familiar with LEED requirements. As costs go down, more and more sustainable construction will happen. There is absolutely a payback. In our experience, the cost for the lowest LEED level is zero or very little. At the higher LEED levels, there is an initial cost upfront, but the payback for responsible design comes in higher efficiency and environmental conservation and preservation.
DATE OF ISSUE: 5/15/09
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Did Vincent Van Gogh chop off his
ear solely for love of his girlfriend?
Perhaps. On the other hand, he was
apparently fond of a drink popular in the
18th and 19th centuries, one that may
have been the muse behind several artists’
paintings of the time: “L’Absinthe” by
Edgar Degas, “The Absinthe Drinker” by
Edouard Manet, and “Woman Drinking
Absinthe” by Picasso.
Absinthe is derived from substances
found naturally in the plant Artemisia
absinthium, also called wormwood. Along
with the high alcohol content, absinthe’s
main compound is thujone, the substance
that made this particularly potent
beverage cause hallucinations in those
who overindulged. But the plant does
more than inspire great works of art and
the occasional loss of an ear. Let’s explore
the genus of fascinating plants with
diverse uses in many different cultures.
The genus Artemisia contains around
350 species, most of which are found in
arid to semi-arid environments around the
globe. They all belong to Asteraceae, also
known as the daisy or sunflower family,
one of the largest plant families. The
small yellow composite inflorescences are
wind-pollinated and thus a nuisance to
those with allergies (ragweed, for example,
is in this family). Most Artemisia species
have white or silver hairs on the leaves,
giving them a silvery, rather than green,
appearance.
Crush the leaves of these plants and
you’ll release a strong aroma due to the
compound absinthin, which also assures
a bitter taste. The plant uses this scent
as a defense to provide protection against
herbivory (although some case-bearing
moths are known to eat this plant alone).
As a result of such natural defenses,
some cultivated species of Artemisia are
commonly used in landscapes with very
few natural predators. They are ideal for
“companion planting;” when planted in
close proximity to other plants, Artemisia
makes the neighboring plants less
appealing to herbivores. If only I could
emphasize this to the grasshoppers that
are currently destroying my plants!
A few plants with common names
will conjure up titillating imagery.
There’s Artemisia vulgaris, also known as
mugwort, felon herb, and sailor’s tobacco.
Sweet Annie and sweet wormwood are
names for Artemisia annua. Artemisia
abronatum is called appleringie and
lad’s love (used for increased fertility).
Artemisia ludoviciana, a species native to
Texas, is confusingly named sagebrush,
sagewort, or black sage, even though it
is not closely related to the sages in the
genus Salvia (in the mint family).
Artemisia dracunculus is called dragon’s
wort, one that early herbalists believed
could cure snake bites because of the
snake-like shape of the root. There was a
once-common belief that the shape of the
plant determined how it could be used.
(Liverwort, for example, was thought to
heal the liver.) Artemisia dracunculus is
also the perennial herb that gives us the
spice tarragon, known in haute cuisine as
the “king of the herbs” because it is used
in so many French sauces and dressings.
Perhaps one reason the group is called
the wormwoods is because of the historic
use of these plants to remove internal
parasites and to heal various diseases,
including what we now know to be
malaria. Artemisia was used in 200 BC
in China as a prescription for malarial
fevers. The compound artemisinin, a type
of sesquiterpene lactone, is in fact quite
effective at removing the parasites that
cause malaria as well as blood flukes.
This designation could have broad
impact. According to the World Health
Organization, a child in Africa dies every
30 seconds because of malaria. Currently,
artemisinin in combination with other
anti-malarial drugs presents a promising
and effective way to combat malarial
infections in China and Africa.
Scientists are also focusing on
artemisinin in the field of cancer
treatment. Apparently, the compound’s
biomechanical mechanism for assaulting
malaria-causing parasites might also be
effective against cancerous cells.
We will need more research to prove the
newest uses of the compound, but with
its many different cultural and medicinal
uses, as well as imaginative common
names, the genus Artemisia and its diverse
species are an amazing group of plants
whose properties we’re only just now
beginning to understand.
by sam kieschnick
WORMWOOD…...“WITH A NAME LIKE
IT’S GOT TO BE GOOD.”
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Q. What is your hometown?
A. I was born in Fort Worth, at the Carswell Air Force Base hospital.
My dad was an officer in the Air Force so we moved around a lot. I’ve lived in Virginia, Michigan, and Louisiana. The summer before I started sixth grade, my dad retired from the Air Force and became a pilot for Delta Airlines. We moved back to the DFW area, and most of my growing up was in Arlington.
Q. Where did you work before BRIT?
A. Before I came to BRIT I was working for the City of Dallas. I
was an environmental coordinator in the Stormwater Management Section. My job was to educate people who live and work in Dallas on how to prevent water pollution in the Dallas area. Some of the outreach efforts I coordinated included school presentations, workshops for construction and industrial operators, and our volunteer programs.
Q. How did you hear about the BRIT position?
A. Pat Harrison, BRIT director of education, called me about the
public program position. My resume was on file with BRIT, and they liked my past experience in public programming. After I told Pat I was very interested, I wrote my cover letter and resubmitted my resume.
Q. Had you heard of BRIT before you took this position?
A .One of my coworkers at the City of Dallas was a former employee
at BRIT, and several people told me about the great lectures they attended at BRIT. So I was aware of BRIT’s reputation for excellence in education and as a great place to work.
Q. Why did you take this
position?
A. I took this position for a number of reasons. I love that BRIT
is actively involved in research, and that the education department works closely with the research staff. I was also happy to learn that BRIT believes
in teaching the importance of our local environment.
I’m excited to be involved in the creation of the public programs for BRIT. It’s not common to work for an organization where you have the opportunity to create entire programs. I’ve always wanted to be a part of that experience; laying the foundation of a BRIT public program is an exciting and humbling experience.
Q. What experiences from your past will you be able to use
here at BRIT?
A. My first job after graduate school was working in the
public programs section of the Dallas Zoo’s education department. I helped coordinate their summer camps, night hikes, overnights, and Saturday classes.
When I worked for the City of Dallas Stormwater Management Section, I learned to use community organizations and leaders as a resource. Tapping into the community really helps an organization spread their message efficiently and effectively. One of the first things I started doing when I worked at BRIT was to introduce myself
to different members of the Fort Worth community. I hope that by strengthening my ties to the community, I can help BRIT offer meaningful public programs that will serve a public need.
Q. What do you see as your initial main goals?
A. My main goals are the development of the visitor
experience, family programs, summer camps, and adult education. Those four areas provide a lot of room to create some powerful programming.
Q. What are some of your specific plans?
A. We’ll have family events in our new building on select
Saturdays; our first summer camp season will take place in 2011; both guided and self-guided tours will be offered; an exhibit hall will house rotating exhibitions; and we’ll continue the popular lecture series.
Q. What do you think about the huge step BRIT is about to
make as we prepare to occupy our new home?
A. I like the phrase “huge step.” With our new home, BRIT will
be making a huge step into the general public’s consciousness. BRIT is well-known and respected in many circles, but most of my friends and family did not know about BRIT until I told them I was coming aboard. The location of the new space is perfect, and I’m excited that more people will get to experience BRIT and hopefully come to see it as a resource.
Q. What do you feel will be your biggest challenge?
A. Curating the exhibit hall will be a challenge, but it’s a challenge
I’m eager to tackle. One wall is curved, another wall has windows, and a third wall is an “air wall,” meaning it can be folded back to connect the exhibit hall with the commons room. Determining how best to utilize the walls and floor space to display visual art and interactive science exhibitions in an engaging manner will require us to be creative.
by robert george
Richard Smart signed on as head of public programs at BRIT in July 2010. A Fort Worth native and most recently an environmental coordinator for the City of Dallas, Smart received his B.S. degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University and his M.S. degree in environmental science from the University of North Texas. His arrival at BRIT was impeccably timed. Soon, the new building will offer unparalleled opportunities for visitor experience and public education under Smart’s ambitious leadership.
I recently interviewed Richard Smart to find out more about his background and plans for BRIT’s future.
Get Smart.Richard Smart, Head of Public
Programs, describes vision for
educational programs at new
BRIT facilities
That said, I am really happy that we have a space to house temporary exhibitions. The exhibit hall will help keep the BRIT visitor experience fresh, because every few months there will be a new exhibition on display. The exhibit hall will also help bring in visitors who may not have considered exploring BRIT.
Q. What are you most looking forward to?
A. The public grand opening is what I’m most looking forward
to. I think the entire BRIT staff will be beaming with pride when the public enters those doors and begins their experience at BRIT.
Q. What are you dreading?
A. Being new to an organization can be tough. Getting acclimated
to the culture of a new place takes time and sometimes you learn things the hard way. Still, everyone at BRIT has been so welcoming to me that despite being here less than three weeks I am already feeling comfortable.
Q. What do you see as BRIT’s greatest asset?
A. The herbarium is BRIT’s greatest asset. There are other visitor
gardens one can experience, but where else in North Central Texas can you go that has one million plants? We have specimens that are literally hundreds of years old! To be able to show visitors what a herbarium is and why it’s important is something they can only experience at BRIT.
Q. How do you plan to take the best advantage of that?
A. We’re currently planning a “science tour” in the new
building, and part of that tour will take visitors through the herbarium. The building will also have a plant pressing studio where visitors can see volunteers and researchers working.
Q. Anything you’d like to add to wrap this up?
A. Some people may be interested to know that I like to play several
sports when I am not working. Being involved in sports is a lot of fun, but I’ve also learned a lot about life through sports.
I play on a competitive club softball team. Tennis has been my main sport all of my life and that is a solo sport. Softball is a team sport, and playing with a team has been a very positive experience for me. You have to learn to trust your teammates to get the win. I attribute our success to the fact that we understand that we win and lose together, as a team.
Two years ago I took up mountain biking. You can’t be tentative when you are mountain biking. Being uncertain or intimidated by an obstacle sets you up for failure. You have to believe in your abilities and face the challenge head on. Mountain biking for me is a metaphor for life. Once you make it through one obstacle another one awaits, but the reward for making it through each challenge is worth the effort.
Join with us in welcoming Richard Smart to BRIT. We look forward to seeing his ideas in action, especially in our beautiful new building! If you have any questions about upcoming public programs or want to suggest ideas, email him at [email protected].
“Sustainable Sites: Guidelines for Sustainable Landscape Design”
With Dr. Brooke Byerley, BRIT Associate Texas Botanist
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas was recently named a pilot site for testing the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009. Developed through a partnership of
the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden, the guidelines promote the attainment of recommended sustainable landscape design practices. BRIT is participating in the two-year pilot program during the building and occupation of its new facility at University and Harley in the Fort Worth Cultural District.
In this public program, Dr. Byerley will discuss the objectives and requirements for SITES rating and share the measures BRIT is implementing to achieve the prerequisites and credit points required.
The lecture will be held on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room at BRIT’s Main Office, 500 E. 4th Street in Fort Worth, TX.
with dr. brooke byerley
Program To Outline How BRIT’s New Headquarters Selected As Pilot
“SuStainable Site”
goal: sustainablelandscape practices
Development and Education staff plan the future
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The new BRIT building will house
our library – or libraries – in grand
style. The Burk Children’s Library,
Shinners Library, and Teachers’
Resource Center will each have its
own place and accommodation with
a separate identity and purpose.
By opening them to the public and
inviting use, we herald a long-awaited
moment for staff, researchers,
students, and visitors.
Let’s take a preview tour of the
Shinners Library and then the
Children’s Library. After entering the
building, you’ll go to the second floor,
then across an internal bridge into the
Archives Block of our new home. The
bridge looks out on an open windowed
area; we can see the main entrance
of the building to the left and the
Geology Wall to the right.
Once across the bridge, we enter
the vestibule, then turn right into
Shinners Library. Just through the
door, wall-mounted lockers offer
volunteers a place to securely store
their belongings. To the left, we see
the Reference Desk. We’ll usually
have a staffer at this post in the library,
ready to offer assistance.
To the right is the Rare Book Room,
a warm and inviting space to study
the many precious and beautiful titles
that the Library owns. An SMU legacy
table, refinished and relocated from
the old building, will anchor the Rare
Book Room, and comfortable chairs
and subdued lighting will add to the
pleasure of studying BRIT’s most
treasured volumes.
Back at the main Shinners Library
entrance, we walk straight ahead
to enter the Reading Room, where
another refinished legacy table stands
at the center. There will be plenty of
space for researchers to consult books
and journals from our outstanding
library collections. To the left, we’ll
shelve the latest issues of some of our
hundreds of journals and the latest
new books for easy browsing, as well
as basic references sources such as
dictionaries (English and foreign
language editions), encyclopedias, and
handbooks. You’ll also see a display wall featuring changing exhibits of the many original artworks on paper that we have in the library holdings. To the right will be a copy machine, scanner, and other necessary technical tools for visitors and staff.
Through another set of doors at the end of the room, we enter the closed stacks area that houses the bulk of the monographic and journal collections. To make the best use of our space, we’re installing compact shelving to hold most of the materials: Shelving is mounted on carriers that roll either to the left or right, allowing you to make an aisle where you need it to access a particular shelf while keeping the total space the shelves occupy to a minimum.
Leaving the Shinners Library and returning to the bridge vestibule, we’ll turn left to enter the Burk Children’s Library. There, large windows look out onto the main exterior entrance. Inside, the Children’s Library will house our unique collection of books dealing with the history of natural science education for children; titles date from the 18th century to the present. Appropriate artwork will be displayed on a rotating basis here, as well.
Adding to our rich research offerings, the Teachers’ Resource Center will be located near the Education Department’s area for the use of primarily new materials, as well as titles that are being used by the Education Department specialists in their daily work.
As researchers and readers, we know the value of these priceless resources. In our new building, we hope the public will come often to avail themselves of these fine materials, too.
The Library is open to the public and available to all. We look forward to seeing you there!
by gary l.jennings
taKeS libRaRY StYle tO a neW leVelbRit
TOP: Artist rendering of Burk Children’s Library
CENTER: Portrait of Loyd Shinners
BOTTOM: Artist rendering of the Rare Book Room
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On May 20, 2010, BRIT presented wildlife conservationist Ramona Seeligson Bass with the 2010 International Award of Excellence in Conservation. The honoree was the focus of a gala that transformed Fort Worth’s Renaissance Worthington Ballroom into a south Texas prairie landscape, complete with mesquite tree centerpieces and prickly pear cactus plants. The planning committee was intent on recognizing Mrs. Bass’ first-hand understanding of the importance of responsible, hands-on stewardship of the land and its native wildlife.
With a shared passion for conservation, Mrs. Bass and her husband, Lee Bass, are active in the Species Survival Plan to save the critically endangered black rhinoceros, which they breed and raise on their South Texas ranch. In 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Bass established the Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation, which provides grants to conservation organizations. In addition, Mrs. Bass has served as Vice Chair of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outreach and Education Advisory Committee. Mrs. Bass has also been closely involved with the Peregrine Fund for Birds of Prey, which Mr. Bass now chairs. In 2003, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton appointed Mrs. Bass to serve on the National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Commission.
Mrs. Bass has become widely known as the transformational
leader of the Fort Worth Zoo, having served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Zoological Association for the past 20 years. She has led the 100-year-old attraction through privatization to its current standing as one of the top zoos in the country, ranked the No. 5 zoo in the nation by USA Travel Guide and the No. 1 attraction in the DFW Metroplex by Zagat survey. In addition, her family and friends established the Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr. Conservation Fund in memory of her father. Administered by the Fort Worth Zoo, the fund supports the conservation of native Texas wildlife and its habitat through grant awards to scientists, educators, and organizations committed to conserving the biodiversity of Texas.
BRIT was honored to have such a renowned and deserving Fort Worth local to receive this prestigious award in a spectacular setting. “I’m thrilled that the Awards Dinner committee put together such a wonderful function,” said gala committee chairwoman Jerri Watt. “Everything was beautiful, from the invitation to the décor; the evening was delightful, and Ramona Bass, the honoree, was outstanding.”
If you missed the 2010 festivities stay tuned for information about the 2011 Annual Event.
by regan haggerty
2010 Annual Event
honoringRamona Bass
Rarely does one wake up one morning and decide, “Today I will run a marathon.” Preparation is required, both physical and mental. Constructing and opening a 70,000 square foot building with a larger staff and new programs while continuing to run existing programs and operations is the marathon BRIT decided to run in 2004, and training began immediately. In the summer of that year, BRIT staff attended a retreat to discuss what BRIT would do, look like, and be known for when it occupies a new home adjacent to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Each summer since then, the staff has gathered to “train” for the marathon with a finish line marked by a successful move to that new building.
Rather than attempt this huge task in isolation, we invited a team of professionals to Fort Worth in late 2009 to evaluate our plan through a peer review process. Composed of highly recognized museum, botanical garden, botanical library, and research professionals, the outside team initiated a two-day critical investigation of every aspect of our organization and our plans for the future. The resulting peer review report suggested improvements to assure a successful strategic planning process and implementation.
Their report is the underpinning of our future planning. The review emphasized the importance of creating a comprehensive vision while reaffirming our commitment to
involving staff, researchers, supporters, and the public as we define BRIT’s purpose and spirit.
“It is very central to your growth that you create and gain consensus on a multiyear strategic plan for programmatic and institutional development,” wrote group leader Gregory Long, president and CEO of The New York Botanical Garden.
We eagerly anticipate the grand opening of the new building next spring. We welcome new avenues of development, expanded public outreach, and enhanced education promised by the new facilities.
Editor’s Note: A summary of the strategic plan will be published in the spring 2011 issue of IRIDOS. We can see the finish line.
by clevelancaster
the Finish Line
Peer Review Coaches Lend Insight to BRIT’s Strategic Planning
From left: Ed Bass, Ramona Bass, Tim McKinney, and Sy Sohmer
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Seeds of Amazonian Plants is the first field guide to treat
the extraordinary diversity of seeds and diaspores (a seed
and associated dispersal structures) of plants commonly
encountered in the Amazon and other lowland moist
forests of the American tropics. This stunningly illustrated
guide features an easy-to-use whole-plant approach to
seed identification that provides detailed descriptions not
only of the seeds but also of the habit, trunk, bark, leaves,
infructescence, and fruit of Amazonian plants, as well as
information about the known uses and distribution of each
genus. Presenting these descriptions together with 750 full-
color photos and a unique identification key, this premier field
guide enables users to identify seeds of 544 genera and 131
families of plants.
Seeds of Amazonian Plants is
now available through Princeton
University Press (http://press.
princeton.edu/titles/9139.html) or
Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.
com/Seeds-Amazonian-Plants-
Princeton-Guides/dp/0691146470).
*Fernando Cornejo is a Peruvian
botanist and BRIT research
associate
*John Janovec is the head
of BRIT’s Andes to Amazon
Biodiversity Program (AABP)
Princeton UniversityPress PublishingSeeds of Amazonian Plantsby Fernando Cornejo* and John Janovec*BRIT announces additional research updates
Robert Johns To Spend Year Studying Biodiversity, Conservation, and Land Use Management in Indigenous Communities in New Guinea
BRIT recently received $40,000 in funding
to complete research that will advance our
knowledge of the diversity of plants found
within several indigenous communities in
New Guinea. The objective of the project
is to describe the flora from several villages
within the Milne Bay Archipelago. Robert
Johns, BRIT botanical researcher, will visit,
document, and collect from several sites within
New Guinea during a 12-month period.
In each community, Johns will hold detailed
discussions with the local villagers to record
local plant names. Ultimately, the program will
publish a series of “Conservation Checklists”
for each island containing lists of both
scientific collections and the traditional uses
and names of select species.
Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program Expands Reach, Further Connects Cultures
During the last few months, the Andes to
Amazon Biodiversity Program (AABP) team
has worked diligently to submit all the proper
annual paperwork to the Peruvian government
for collecting and shipping specimens. In
return, the government notified the team that
all permits have been renewed for 2010. Also,
during the past three months, Tiana Franklin
(Collections Manager) sent out 400 fern
specimens to fern expert Dr. Robbin Moran
at the New York Botanical Garden. Moran’s
species identifications will enable the BRIT-
AABP team to update all ferns in the Andes-
Amazon Atrium database.
In other AABP program news, Dr. John
Janovec has been working closely with several
other U.S. scientists who visited Peru this
past summer, including Dr. John L. Clark,
Gesneriaceae (African Violet family) expert
from the University of Alabama, and Dr. Carol
Shearer, an aquatic fungus specialist from the
University of Illinois-Champaign. The team of
scientists participated in various expeditions
into the tropical wilderness in the area
surrounding Quincemil, BRIT’s current base
in southeastern Peru, where they collected
close to 50 species of Gerneriaceae, including
some species that are new to science! In
one major discovery, the scientists collected
a tiny species of the genus Anetanthus (a
rarely collected and little known genus).
Dr. Shearer conducted a special inventory
aimed at documenting hundreds of species of
microscopic fungi that live in water, on wet
logs, or in saturated soils.
Former Texas Christian University/BRIT
students Ethan Householder and Rebecca
Repasky Luke both published papers in the
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute
of Texas (See Press story on page nine).
Rebecca’s paper focuses on the study of
orchid diversity in the Peruvian cloud forest,
while Ethan’s paper details the natural history
and diversity of six vanilla orchid species.
Finally, during the summer months of 2010,
two U.S. student interns from Austin College
in Sherman, Texas, have joined the BRIT-
AABP team in Quincemil. These students
will be exploring the botany, ecology, and
entomology of this region.
Biodiversity Informatics Expands Atrium
In May 2010, the Atrium team began a
discussion with Dr. George Weiblen at the
University of Minnesota about the possibility
of enhancing the Atrium New Guinea
Digital Flora. From these discussions, BRIT
received a $3,000 contract to begin revisions
that include updating the taxonomic tables,
uploading data for approximately 4,500
specimens, and implementing several modules
not currently included in this instance
(vegetation survey and analysis, GIS, and
weather data modules). The team hopes to
continue collaboration with Weiblen and
continue the enhancements of the Atrium
New Guinea Digital Flora.
As of July 10, 2010, the first set of digitized
specimens from the Universidad Nacional
de la Amazonía Peruana (AMAZ-UNAP)
is online in the Andes-Amazon instance of
Atrium, under the project “Herbario Digital
AMAZ-UNAP.” This is the first set of
collection records from the Iquitos herbaria
to be databased, scanned, and entered into
Atrium. You can find the records online at:
http://atrium.andesamazon.org/collections_
list.php?type=project&id=19&sort=family.
by keri mcnew barfield
and john janovec
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DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE *Anonymous*Mr. and Mrs. Edward P. Bass*Mr. and Mrs. Lee M. Bass*Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Bass#Chesapeake Energy*Mrs. Frank Darden*Mr. and Mrs. Mark L. Hart III#Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP*Mr. and Mrs. John B. KleinheinzMr. and Mrs. Howell Mann#Medical Center of Plano*Mr. and Mrs. Tom O. Moncrief*Mr. and Mrs. Ardon E. Moore III*Mrs. Betty Jo Pate*Mrs. Gail Williamson Rawl*Mr. and Mrs. Tim SearSouthern Methodist University*Mrs. John Reese Stevenson#Sundance Square#Texas Christian University#Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust at U. S. Trust*Mr. and Mrs. Bill J. Zimmerman SUSTAINING LEVELMr. Paul Andrews*Mr. and Mrs. Jim BeckmanBNSF Railway CompanyMr. and Mrs. Martin C. BowenMr. David BucherThe Cumming Company, Inc.\ *Mr. and Mrs. Dwight H. Cumming*Mr. and Mrs. Glenn M. DardenMr. Chris Davidson and Ms. Sharon ChristophMr. and Mrs. William S. DavisDr. and Mrs. Kelsey R. DownumMr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Duggins IIIMs. Caroline M. DulleMr. and Mrs. Crawford Edwards*Mr. Dirk Eshleman#Fort Worth Zoological Association*Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin J. FortsonMr. and Mrs. Robin French#Frost BankDr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Gaines III*Mrs. Helen GrovesMs. Emory A. Hamilton*Hodges Fund of the Community Foundation of North TexasMs. Tracy Holmes#JMEG, LP#JPMorgan ChaseMs. Joann KargesMr. and Mrs. Raymond B. Kelly III#Luther King Capital Management*Mr. Dan E. LowranceMr. and Mrs. John L. MarionMrs. Ruth A. May
*Mr. and Ms. Kevin McGarry*Mr. and Mrs. Timothy W. McKinney*Mr. and Mrs. William W. MeadowsMr. and Mrs. Jarrell R. MilburnMr. and Mrs. Stephen Murrin, Jr.Native Plant Society of Texas Borne CapterMr. and Mrs. Darren K. Nelson*Mr. and Mrs. J. David Nivens*Capt. Robert J. O’Kennon#Oncor*Mr. and Mrs. Timothy L. PetrusThe Projects Group*Mr. and Mrs. Breck Ray*Mr. and Mrs. Doug Renfro*Mrs. Rosalyn G. Rosenthal*Mr. and Mrs. William E. RosenthalMrs. A. Hardy SandersMr. Charles M. Simmons#Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show*Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sterling*Dr. and Mrs. George C. Sumner#TD IndustriesTexas Discovery GardensMr. and Mrs. Kelly R. ThompsonTrinity Forks Chapter of NPSOTUniversity of Minnesota#University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort WorthThe University of Texas at Arlington*Mr. and Mrs. E. Duer Wagner, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Monk WhiteMr. and Mrs. Blair Woodall*Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell S. Wynne*Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Yorio PATRON LEVEL Mr. and Mrs. William C. BahanThe Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth L. BarrMr. and Mrs. Harry E. BartelMr. and Mrs. Michael BennettMr. Amon G. Carter IIIMr. and Mrs. Frank P. Carvey, Jr.Mollie L. & Garland M. Lasater, Jr. Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of North TexasMichael Dallas, CFP\Mr. Michael Dallas and Mrs. Jamye DennisDrs. Nancy and Mark Dambro*Mr. Danny Deen*Mr. and Mrs. James B. DeMoss IIIDr. and Mrs. Nowell DonovanMs. Virginia DormanJudge and Mrs. Patrick W. Ferchill*Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. FindlayMs. Caroline Forgason*Mr. and Mrs. John P. HickeyMs. Cheryl Hodge
Mr. C. Brodie Hyde IIMrs. S. Gordon Johndroe, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. James H. Kennedy*Mr. and Mrs. William M. LawrenceMs. Martha V. LeonardMs. Shirley D. LuskMr. and Mrs. Mark McLelandMr. Scott Miller*Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. MillmanMr. and Mrs. Richard W. MoncriefNative Habitat OrganizationMr. and Mrs. John F. OudtMr. and Mrs. Robert A. PedersenQuartzMr. and Mrs. Roger B. RiceMr. and Mrs. W. Randolph RodgersRoyer & Schutts Commercial Interiors*Drs. Sara and Sy SohmerMr. Richard D. Steed, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. G. Robert StephensonDr. and Mrs. Leigh TaliaferroMr. and Mrs. Richard J. Van GorderMr. and Mrs. Ronald B. WhiteWhitley Penn, LLP
SUPPORTING LEVEL Dr. Robert AdamskiAgrosoke InternationalAylor Landscaping ServicesMr. and Mrs. Bradford S. BarnesMr. and Mrs. Frank D. BowersMrs. Lucile Gould BridgesDr. James E. BrooksMr. and Mrs. Mark A. BrownMs. Helen BurtMr. and Mrs. H. Paul CarlMs. Sally Channon*Mrs. Marie Louise ColeMs. Joyce ColegroveDr. and Mrs. Ernest F. CouchDr. and Mrs. Ivan DanhofDr. and Mrs. A. Ronald DaniellMs. Grace DarlingMr. and Mrs. Michael DeWoodyMrs. Deena Heide-Diesslin and Mr. David DiesslinMr. and Mrs. Eugene J. DozierMr. William EverheartDr. and Mrs. Jay L. FierkeMr. and Mrs. Michael FourakerDr. and Mrs. Rhett K. FredricMrs. Bayard H. FriedmanMr. and Mrs. Heinz GaylordMr. and Mrs. James GlasscockDr. and Mrs. Dana Griffin IIIHarding ComapnyMr. and Mrs. Tom HarrisonMr. and Mrs. James D. HasenzahlMr. and Mrs. Robert G. HillThe Right Reverend and Mrs. Sam
B. HulseyMr. F. T. JacksonMr. and Mrs. Delmar JanovecMr. Richard D. JanovecMr. Russell M. JeffordsDr. Gordon B. KellyDr. and Mrs. Norval KnetenMs. Karen P. KologeMs. Tammye J. KuntzMs. Arlene KwawMr. and Mrs. John E. LangdonDr. and Mrs. Thomas LeavensDr. and Mrs. Claudio LehmannDr. Benjamin G. Liles, Jr.Mr. Barney L. LipscombMr. John LunsfordDr. and Mrs. Michael MacRoberts*Dr. and Mrs. Wm. F. MahlerMrs. Paul Warren MasonMr. and Mrs. James D. MatthewsMs. Becky MeadowsThe Honorable and Mrs. Lawrence MeyersMrs. John M. MichieMr. and Mrs. Richard D. Minker*Dr. and Mrs. B. O’Dell Molpus, Jr.Mr. Frank L. MorelandMs. Mary G. PalkoMr. and Mrs. Bruce PedenMr. and Mrs. L. Daniel Prescott, Jr.Mr. Alfred T. RichardsonMr. Randolph E. RichardsonMs. Ellen RoeserMs. Rosalin RogersMr. and Mrs. Charlie RoyerMr. and Mrs. C.B. RusseyMs. Linda SeeligsonMr. and Mrs. Bill ShawMr. and Mrs. Ben R. SmithMr. and Mrs. Jason SmithMr. Morgan SmithMr. and Mrs. Dulaney G. SteerMs. Carole Ann TaggartDr. and Mrs. Joseph Tarride, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. TatumValdez SpiceMrs. Dieter W. WagenerMr. and Mrs. William P. Warner*Mrs. Suzanne S. WilliamsMrs. Florence Jones WittMr. and Mrs. Berry Chandler WoodsonMr. Jia-dong YangMr. Brian Yost
PARTNER LEVELMs. Florence L. AdamsDr. and Mrs. Charles AndrewsAnonymousMrs. Sara BeckelmanDr. and Mrs. Ed Bleker
Ms. Tommie W. BroylesMr. and Mrs. Dave ButtgenMr. Allen ChartierDr. Lynn G. ClarkMs. Sherry ClarkMr. Foster J. ClaytonMr. Chip ClintDr. William B. CookMs. Elaine CouchMs. Hazel CroninMr. and Mrs. Walter DaudeMr. Frank DurdaMs. Barbara DurnanMs. I. Sandra ElsikFriends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & RefugeMr. and Mrs. Edward C. FritzMr. and Mrs. Elliott GarsekGirl Scout of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Inc.Ms. Beverly GoodinMs. Lynn Anderson HaglerMr. Dan HaysMs. Sue W. HeaberlinMr. and Mrs. Walter HessonThe Reverend and Mrs. Bertrand N. Honea, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Tom JonesMr. and Mrs. Michael E. KerrMs. Kelly LafargeMr. Joseph LokerDr. and Mrs. Paul M. McKenzieMr. and Mrs. Steve B. MossMs. Mary Thorpe ParkerMr. P. Michael PeckMs. Patricia J. PostDr. and Mrs. Robb H. RutledgeMr. Joseph SalgadoMs. Michelle SchneiderMr. and Mrs. Richard SchoechMr. L. Lynn SherrodMr. and Mrs. Daniel C. ShivelyMs. Mimi SlaughterDr. Richard W. Spellenberg and Ms. Naida D. ZuckerMr. and Mrs. James SteinMrs. Joy TerryMs. Cheryl TiptonMr. and Mrs. Delbert W. ToddMr. Alfred TraverseDrs. Georgine and Leo VromanMrs. Warren Wagner, Jr.Mrs. Herbert C. WalkerMr. and Mrs. O. Leon WaltersMs. June WolffMr. Joel E. Young
Donations 1 January 2010 to 31 July 2010 FOUNDERS
AnonymousRamona and Lee BassThe Bass Charitable CorporationAmon G. Carter FoundationFourth Century TrustThe Rainwater Charitable FoundationSid W. Richardson Foundation
CONSERVATORS The Discovery FundNational Science FoundationCrystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust at U. S. TrustSouthwestern Exposition and Livestock Show GUARDIANS Anonymous Gunhild Corbett Dorothea Leonhardt Fund - Spending Policy Fund - Communities Foundations of Texas Capt. Robert J. O’Kennon William E. Scott Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Tim Sear George C. and Sue W. Sumner Fund of the Community Foundation of North Texas PARTNERS Ms. Tracy Holmes Kresge Foundation Adeline and George McQueen Foundation Elaine and Tim Petrus The Ryan Foundation
BENEFACTORS Mrs. Ruth A. Anderson Virginia and Paul Dorman Ann and Tim McKinney Mrs. Gail Williamson Rawl Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sterling
SUPPORTERS The Ninnie L. Baird FoundationMr. and Mrs. Harry E. BartelMr. Carroll W. CollinsErnest and Keiko Couch Tammie Lynn and Calvin Lynne CroleMr. and Mrs. Walter G. Dahlberg Margaret W. and James B. DeMossDavid H. Diesslin and Deena Jo Heide- Diesslin/Diesslin & AssociatesGarvey FoundationMr. and Mrs. Gavin R. GarrettThe Right Reverend and Mrs. Sam B. HulseyDr. and Mrs. Nowell Donovan Jeffrey P. and Carol A. FeganMr. and Mrs. Craig R. HamiltonMr. and Mrs. Tom HarrisonDrs. Bonnie and Louis JacobsKarl and Nancy KomatsuMr. and Mrs. W. Cleve LancasterPam and Bill LawrenceMr. and Mrs. John L. MerrillMr. and Mrs. Tom O. MoncriefMr. and Mrs. Stephen Murrin IIIMs. Mary G. PalkoSear Family FoundationMs. Judy SecrestDrs. Sara and Sy SohmerMr. Richard Steed, Jr.
FRIENDS Mr. and Mrs. Justin W. AllisonAnonymousMr. Jason BestMr. and Mrs. James ChamberlainMr. and Mrs. Samuel A. CookeMr. and Mrs. Paul DenavitMs. Martha DolmanJoe and Mary DulleMs. Anne DysonMr. Dirk E. EshlemanMs. Jennifer FitzgeraldGreater Fort Worth Herb SocietyMr. Robert George and Mrs. Frances PolsterMr. and Mrs. Jareld HathcockMrs. Amanda and Mr. Andrew HeffleyDr. John JanovecMr. and Mrs. Gary L. JenningsMr. and Mrs. Brian KellerMs. Terrell LambMr. and Mrs. Allan R. LaQueyMr. Barney LipscombDr. Lee Luckeydoo and Mr. John DreeseMr. Andrew LutzMr. and Mrs. Stephen J. MarksteinerMr. Gordon D. MayMs. Asha McElfishMs. Judy MacKenzieMrs. Keri McNew-BarfieldDr. and Mrs. B. O’Dell Molpus, Jr.Ms. Amanda K. NeillDr. and Mrs. Guy L. NesomMs. Marissa OppelMr. and Mrs. Arthur RehmanDr. and Mrs. Jake B. SchrumDr. and Mrs. Allen SchusterMs. Kathleen G. ScottMrs. Michiko M. StoneMr. Andrew WaltkeMs. Elizabeth A. Watson
Pressed for Time: Building a Future and Preserving the PastCampaign Gifts as of July 31, 2010
GIFTS IN KINDBates Container, Inc.Chimy’s Cerveceria#Star-Telegram and INDULGEZ’s Cafe
FOUNDATIONS #Amon G. Carter Foundation#Bass Foundation#BNSF Railway CompanyThe Human Source FoundationAlvin and Lucy Owsley FoundationSid W. Richardson FoundationThe Arch & Stella Rowan Foundation, Inc.Sear Family Foundation MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES AT&T Foundation Matching Gift ProgramBank of AmericaExxonMobil Foundation GIFTS TO THE LIBRARy Mr. and Mrs. Edward P. BassDr. and Mrs. Denis R. BenjaminMr. Robert D. DornMr. Brian A. Elliot Dr. Hugh H. IltisMr. Gary L. JenningsMs. Joann KargesMr. Barney LipscombMrs. Perpha LiogierMr. and Mrs. Dennis S. MarynickMs. Penny McCookCapt. Robert J. O’KennonMr. John PatinDr. and Mrs. Arturo Gomez-Pompa
*Host Committee 2010 International Award of Excellence in Conservation Gala
#Corporate Sponsors 2010 International Award of Excellence in Conservation Gala
IN HONOR OFMs. Diane Broyles WhiteheadDrs. Bonnie and Louis JacobsVicki & Megan DickersonMr. George ByersMs. Annabelle Elizabeth MaysMs. Gail Rawl and Mrs. Lucy Darden
Mrs. Jane MolpusMary Lynn & Gavin GarrettMr. Barney Lipscomp and Ms. Tiana FranklinMrs. Ramona BassMrs. Ramona Bass
FROM Ms. Tommie W. BroylesDr. James E. BrooksVicki, Ed & Madi BassDr. and Mrs. Rhett K. FredricDr. and Mrs. Norval KnetenThe Right Reverend and Mrs. Sam B. HulseyMrs. Florence Jones WittDr. and Mrs. Jay L. FierkeMs. Kelly Lafarge
Mr. and Mrs. W. Randolph RodgersDr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Gaines III
IN MEMORy OF Dr. Frank W. GouldMrs. Dorothy ShoresMargaret Hays and Chuck BarnesMs. Elizabeth RenshawRobert Burkett, his son & daughter- in-law, Karen & Michael BurkettMr. Gordon SylvesterMs. Kay LewisMrs. Deborah MoncriefDr. A. LiogierMr. Dieter W. Wagener
FROM Mrs. Lucile Gould BridgesMr. and Mrs. Dave ButtgenMr. Dan HaysMs. Sue W. HeaberlinMs. Karen P. Kologe
Mr. F. T. JacksonMr. Russell M. JeffordsMrs. Gail Williamson RawlDrs. Sara and Sy SohmerMrs. Dieter W. Wagener
Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Inc.500 East 4th Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102 USA
Herbaria of SMU, BRIT and Vanderbilt
Lloyd Shinners Collection in Systematic Botany
Nonprofit Org.
US postage
PAIDPermit No 2737
Fort Worth, Texas