July 15 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Join us on Wednesday, July 15 at 2pm for our webinar “Women in Florida Field Botany: 1872-1971” presented by the Florida Museum’s Herbarium Collections Manager, Dr. Alan Franck, and University of Florida Bachelor of Science Student, Serenity Mettler.
People like Alvan W. Chapman and John K. Small figure prominently in early Florida botany. Often overlooked are many women who made significant contributions in Florida field botany, such as Mary C. Reynolds, Eleanor Scull, Lucia McCulloch, Mary F. Baker, Lillian Arnold, Mary Agnes Chase, Helen Butts Correll, Ruth Schornherst Breen, Olga Lakela and others. This talk will explore their work and bring them back into the story.
Presenters:
Alan Franck is a botanist and educator at the University of Florida herbarium, within the Florida Museum of Natural History located in Gainesville, Florida. Previously, he worked at Florida International University in Miami, studying the local flora and fungi. He has also served as the director of the University of South Florida herbarium, which has a heavy concentration on the flora of Florida. He received his Ph.D. from the University of South Florida, where his dissertation studied the systematics of a rare cactus (Harrisia sp.) in Florida and the Caribbean. His research continues to focus primarily on the plant and fungal diversity of Florida and parts of the Caribbean.
Serenity Mettler is a bachelor’s student in botany at the University of Florida with a minor in UFTeach. She has been volunteering at the FLMNH Herbarium since 2025, with a focus on Herbarium history, and is currently studying Florida women in field botany. Serenity is passionate about science education, community outreach, and plant sciences.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our website 48 hours after the event. A link will be sent to all those who register. Only the first 500 attendees will be able to enter the webinar; if we reach capacity before you join, you can view the recording that will be emailed to you.