Dr. Olwen Grace: Curating Herbaria in a Time of Biodiversity Crisis
Dr. Olwen Grace, Professor Olwen Grace, Deputy Director of Science (Collections) and Curator of the Herbarium
Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
Date: Thursday 26 February, 2026 Edinburgh, from 6:00-7:00pm – (Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available from 5:30 pm as usual)
Venue: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Science Building, 20a Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR
Venue Note: To access the lecture please enter via the Science Buildings main reception, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR. Note this is NOT the public entrance to the gardens. what3words ///ROPES.DINNER.CLUBS
Title: Curating Herbaria in a Time of Biodiversity Crisis
Abstract: Herbaria are curated collections of preserved plant specimens that provide a reference of the plant and fungal kingdoms. Index Herbarium, the international registry of herbaria, lists 4,035 herbaria that collectively house some 406 million specimens, each one representing a record of biodiversity. The motivations for establishing and developing each herbarium are unique, but the broad principle of herbarium curation – maintaining specimens for use in perpetuity – has remained constant for centuries, even as their context, resourcing and use may change. If herbaria are to fulfil their promise of providing a continuous record of plant diversity over time and geography, however, a more responsive and strategic approach to curation is needed. In this talk, I provide examples from the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh responding to the biodiversity crisis.
BIO: Olwen Grace is the Deputy Director of Science (Collections) and Curator of the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, leading the strategic development and stewardship of major botanical collections. Olwen is a specialist in plant systematics with a collections-based approach to resolving challenges affecting the use and identification of plants. Her research also focuses on succulent plant diversity, using the genus Aloe (Asphodelaceae) as a model system. Olwen holds a PhD in Botany from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and honorary professorship from the University of Edinburgh.
