Cabinets of Curiosity: Herbarium Collection
Wed, Feb 5, 2025, 11am
Biological Sciences Building, Room 875
Twin Cities campus in St. Paul
If you have ever pressed a flower, you know something of the pleasure and significance of keeping a record of these once living plants and their personal significance for you. Now imagine more than 950,000 specimen records that focus strongly on the Upper Midwest but with worldwide representation and special attention to areas where faculty have conducted research, most recently in Papua New Guinea. Tim Whitfeld, collections manager of the University of Minnesota Herbarium, will share his knowledge of that amazing collection and explain its critical importance in the 21st century. Botanists study these pressed plants, individually and collectively, to establish a history of plant life, often over centuries, because they contain compelling evidence of the ever modulating geographical distribution of plants and evidence of how climate, pests, and other factors have changed species over time.
The Herbarium Collection, officially part of the Bell Museum, is tucked away in an upper story of the Biological Sciences Building on the U of M Twin Cities campus in St. Paul, close to the students and faculty who use its specimens for teaching and research. For an example of its public impact, see https://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/bell-museum-resident-artist-alicia-de-la-cruz/ . If you are curious about these historic and ongoing practices of collecting, preserving, and engaging with plant materials, including pine cones and seeds as well as leaves and flowers, plan to join us on February 5 at 11:00 am or 1pm.
All spaces are full, but Jan will have a wait list. Contact her to if you wish to be notified of openings. Note there will be a $10 charge upon registration. Space is limited, so we are having two tours, at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m., with a group lunch between tours for those who are interested. Be sure to select your preferred tour time. The $10 donation to the Herbarium will be used to help support student work. Further instructions on timing, directions and parking will be sent to those signed up.
At noon those who are interested will convene for lunch.
Questions? Contact Sally Gregory Kohlstedt ([email protected]), Jan Morlock ([email protected]), or Cathy Lee Gierke ([email protected]).
Cancellations: Cancellations and refunds will be honored until Friday, Jan 31, 2025.
Upcoming Events
52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.
Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.
When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2.
UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.
"One color" is the theme for the meeting of the UMRA Photo Club on Tuesday, February 10.
Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota including my grandfather, whose unusual relationship to several churches, and religion in general, was one of the reasons for his emigrating.
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S.
Well-known Twin Cities-based financial journalist and economics commentator Chris Farrell will be the featured guest for UMRA’s February 17 Living Well Workshop via Zoom. He will discuss why and how the current generation of older Americans is not following the traditional retirement pattern of a relaxed lifestyle.
UMRA's Book Club I will discuss Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life. Author is Kao Kalia Yang. Discussion leader is Linda Lindeke.
Renee Alexander’s first job at the Great Minnesota Get-Together was as an intern in 1989. She took over the top job in 2023, following the 26-year tenure of her predecessor.
Growing Up by Russell Baker.
Family history with Michelle Casey.