In this program from the National Park Service Corps II Tent of Many Voices, Don Despain of the United States Geological Survey discusses plant specimen collection and preservation on the expedition. See examples of specimens from the trip. Learn how Lewis learned to identify and classify plants. Witness the process used to collect and preserve specimens.
Contents of the Broadcast:
1. Opening to 6:14--Introduction of Mr. Despain, information about Jefferson's instructions to Lewis, previous world expeditions that had collected plant specimens, Linnaeus, plant naming, plant collections of the time, importance of bringing back specimens to study
2. 6:14 to 11:52--Topics in this section include Lewis' mother's knowledge of plants, Lewis' study with Benjamin Barton, books Lewis took on the trip; parts of a plant and why they matter.
3. 11:52 to 17:27--In this segment Mr. Despain touches on how the process of plant preservation today, importance of identifying tags, and use of a herbarium.
4. 17:27 to 27:08—Mr. Despain now turns his attention to Lewis' activities on the trip, when and how he preserved his field specimens, and sending specimens back to Jefferson from the expedition.
5. 27:08 to 37:26--In this segment, we learn how the specimens were treated after the expedition, the publications process, the preservation and study done with the specimens.
6. 37:26 to End--See images of plants preserved during the expedition and images of those plants today. Plants include yarrow, blue flax, wild onion, balsam root, globe mallow, needle and thread, silver sage, choke cherry, shrubbery cinquefoil, silvery lupine, evening primrose, and silverberry.
