Recent years have witnessed a revolution in museums. Many researchers and visitors alike now consider museum collections as something dynamic and diverse. As both a frequent museum visitor, and a researcher working with hundreds of plant specimens, I am very excited about the wide range of possibilities this collection revolution brings.
The study of specimens held in museums is fundamental for a better understanding of and planning for the effects of climate change. My special focus is on plant biology. Therefore, I am often visiting herbaria, which are special museums that hold plant specimens collected at different places and times.
In my research as a postdoctoral fellow at the VUB, I collaborate with the herbarium at Meise Botanic Garden. In this collaboration, I analyze and gather data from specimens of the plant Viscum album, commonly known as the European mistletoe. The idea is to investigate the effects of climate change in the ecology and physiology of this species, which is of great importance to natural and urban environments.
To complement my investigation, I often visit other herbaria. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit two of the largest herbarium collections in the world: the one at the Natural History Museum and the one at Kew Gardens, both in London. During this visit, I was able to analyze rare specimens and interact with colleagues. I also participated in a seminar held by the Linnean Society about trees and culture, during which the interactions among plants and people were discussed in a broad way.
These discussions, combined with a critical analysis of museums and their collections, including herbaria, are also fundamental to reckon with legacies of imperialistic practices. This way, we can reframe and discuss topics such as colonialism, indigenous knowledge, and representation in building scientific knowledge!