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January 30 marked a milestone for the Botanical Research Institute of Texas Philecology Herbarium.The addition of the Texas sandmint plant marked the herbarium’s 1.5 millionth cataloged specimen.The herbarium’s success wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the botanical research’s experts, staff and volunteers, said Tiana Rehman, director of BRIT’s herbarium.“We’re stewards of this information, which belongs to the people that need to use it, to the students, the researchers that are using it,” said Rehman. “I like the idea of stewardshipbecause it’s definitely what I consider what I do and what my staff do as well for these collections.”The ninth largest in the nation, the nonprofit’s herbarium has collected plant specimens since 1991, when the research institute was born to house and expand Southern Methodist University’s collection in Systematic Botany.Herbariums work as a center for describing a newly discovered plant species to science, which can help when researchers are conducting fieldwork, determining whether a collected plant species is new or has already been discovered, Rehman said.BRIT’s partnerships, including those at Vanderbilt University and Louisiana State University, have helped the herbarium become a primary source of plant research and education in North Texas.“Lots of different aspects make Fort Worth a real center for botanical investigation,” said Rehman.Herbarium’s role in conservation, scienceWhether a plant is new to science or is yet to be documented at the herbarium, cataloging specimens involves noting information about the important features of a plant to help identify species in the future.BRIT’s herbarium specializes in documenting plants discovered in the southern portion of the country but it also contains specimens from across the world.Tiana Rehman began working at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas Philecology Herbarium in 2003. She stepped in as the herbarium’s director in 2022. (Nicole Lopez | Fort Worth Report)Documenting the specimens supports scientific research and conservation efforts, which is why it takes a “world’s worth of expertise” to catalog the plants, Rehman said.Part of that work includes using resources such as published texts, identification keys and flora — the plant life for a particular region or time — to find a match. “Just thinking about the molecular techniques that we have today to kind of figure out, ‘Are these (plants) the same thing or not?’ That is already leaps and bounds from where we were, even 10 years ago,” said Rehman.Identifying a plant’s location, both native and where it was discovered, plays an especially crucial role in conserving plants, said Rehman. “That’s important because before we can protect anything, we have to know what’s there. Is this specimen I collected in this grassland the same as what grows across all of eastern North America? Or is it something that’s endemic?” said Rehman. Cataloging a specimen involves noting where and when a plant was found, its scientific name and common names, pollinator visits, ecological information and various other data. Also helping to address habitat and species conservation is the herbarium’s Texas plant conservation team.Cataloging a plant specimen at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas Philecology Herbarium involves documenting the species’ scientific and common names and where and when it was found. (Nicole Lopez | Fort Worth Report)The team runs a seed bank that specializes in collecting rare and threatened plants in Texas, such as white rosinweed, which grows in open prairies, and the large-fruited sand verbena, endemic to east Texas. Conservation staff regularly evaluate existing plant populations of rare plants. Even an absence of a species provides staff with valuable information regarding whether a plant population is declining, said Rehman. Evaluations and determinations are made when staff can refer to the herbarium’s existing records on rare plants. “I can’t stress enough that plant discoveries are made — not out in the field, in the grasslands, in the jungles — they’re made in an herbarium where you can compare it to known entities,” said Rehman.Volunteers support herbarium’s missionVolunteering at the herbarium doesn’t require a background in botany or science — just training and an attention to detail, according to Rehman.Avon Burton is a volunteer. When she retired from her career in advertising, she wanted to contribute to something she considered worthwhile and that supports science.But the work’s impact goes beyond scientific contributions for Burton. “It gives a sense of purpose. … We build friendships here and learn all kinds of things,” said Burton. “It just fills the curiosity about life.”Botanical Research Institute of Texas Philecology Herbarium director Tiana Rehman helps volunteer Rhonda Smith identify a plant specimen. (Nicole Lopez | Fort Worth Report)Kay Yount, a retired city employee, has been volunteering at BRIT for 25 years. When she began participating in the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association following her retirement, Yount knew volunteering in botany was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. “I’m here two days a week, and I don’t think I’ve been here a single time that I didn’t learn something,” said Yount. “Today was a learning experience.”Logging her volunteer hours with the herbarium has helped her maintain her certification with the Cross Timbers Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program, which serves Tarrant and Parker counties. In-person herbarium visits require an appointment. Thanks to BRIT’s Armchair Botanist program, visitors can navigate digital records. The program is also made possible through virtual volunteers. Volunteers from all over the world contribute to the program, allowing the herbarium to collect more data on a specimen that otherwise may have not been discovered, according to Rehman. “(The program) can be used to ask some of those questions that we really do need to be asking as we’re facing different climate regimes and changing environments,” said Rehman.A willingness to learn from each other supports the herbarium in its work.“I learn as much from our volunteers as I teach,” said Rehman. “We couldn’t do it without them.”At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.