Brock University Herbarium (BU)

Brock is a publicly funded university located in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Its location along the Niagara Escarpment grants it a special position within a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Niagara region is special as it represents one of the last regions in Canada where the Carolinian ecosystem can be found and where many specie at risk are present. Unfortunately, for various reasons, the region has been the target of few intensive biodiversity studies with specimen collections. The university, along with several local organizations, envisions itself as a leader in improving our understanding of plant diversity in the region and therefore aims at becoming the official specimen depository for the region. The establishment and registration of our herbarium, which includes collections dating back to the 1930’s, is an important step to engaging the international community. This will allow improving the knowledge of the area and exchange with other institutions that may have studied in the region. It is also a collaborative effort with other local organizations that believe this initiative timely considering new conservation projects such as those of the Niagara Land Trust.