In this video, Collections Manager Patrick Sweeney explains how plants are pressed and mounted to create scientific records that last for centuries.
Leaves of history
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min
Video by Allie Barton
Every pressed leaf tells a story. Yale’s herbarium holds over 300,000 specimens — some dating to the 1700s — capturing centuries of biodiversity across continents. These collections are more than dried plants; they are living archives of ecosystems, climate shifts, and evolutionary history. Senior Collections Manager Patrick Sweeney demonstrates the meticulous process of gathering and mounting specimens with paper, glue, and linen strips, ensuring they endure for centuries and can contribute to research and discovery.
