CONTRACTORS CORNER
F.A.Q.
Choosing Species
Do I choose my species?
How often are these lists updated?
What if I find that I can’t collect my assigned species?
What if I know I can make a collection, but the species is assigned to another individual?
How do I get the contact info for other contract botanists?
The posted target list is updated frequently. How do I know when a species that was previously unavailable has been added to the target list?
Do you have sites and times of flowering and fruiting information available?
Shipping Seeds
How often should I send in invoices?
If seed is to be submitted 2-5 days after collection, what if the seed in a community does not all develop at once?
How quickly will I know if I have enough seed?
How should I send you the herbarium samples so they'll stay flat and protected?
What if I don’t have a GPS or plant press?
What if don’t have a Fed-ex near me?
Collecting seeds
How would I obtain collection permits from CBG?
Can I make repeated collections from the same population to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
Can I collect from several locations to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
The Seed Collection Reference Number on the form - Is this a reference number that I keep up, or a number that CBG has on file for each species?
I think I have the right species, but I’m not sure?
Choosing species
Do I choose my species?
Yes, please look at the target list. Species that have no name under assigned adjacent to them are free for collection. See “how to request a species” for further details.
How often are these lists updated?
From December to May, the lists are updated at least weekly. During June through November, the list is updated twice a week.
What if I find that I can’t collect my assigned species?
Please email us at msb@chicagobotanic.org and let us know immediately. Your name will be removed from the website.
What if I know I can make a collection, but the species is assigned to another individual?
Please contact the assigned collector directly. If a swap is made, please let the coordinators know at msb@chicagobotanic.org.
How do I get the contact info for other contract botanists?
The coordinators will provide a roster of email address for you. This info will NOT be available on the website to reduce spam!
The posted target list is updated frequently, how do I know when a species that was previously unavailable has been added to the target list?
Go to the “new species” list. Once a species has been on this page for a couple of weeks or is claimed by a collector it will return to the target list.
Do you have sites and times of flowering and fruiting information available?
We have very little information available. We have some general dates for fruiting that are pertinent to the upper Midwest.
Shipping seeds
How often should I send in invoices?
Please send an invoice at the end of each month. Our accounting department promises that it will take no longer than 3 weeks after submitting an invoice to be reimbursed. Checks will be sent to the address listed on your W-9.
If seed is to be submitted 2-5 days after collection, what if the seed in a community does not all develop at once?
Send the clearly-labeled collection in different shipments. CBG staff will combine your collections once we receive all of them.
How quickly will I know if I have enough seed?
Collections will not be fully cleaned until the winter, but a portion of your collection will be cleaned upon receipt and a rough estimate given within a week at most. If you think you are below 3,000 and have the capacity to collect more, let us know before we receive your collection and we will make it a priority to access your collections. Keep in mind, that collections that arrive on Friday will likely not be accessed until Monday.
How should I send you the herbarium samples so they'll stay flat and protected?
Cushion the bottom of the cardboard box. If possible, ship the blotters and pieces of cardboard used in your press between your specimens and cushion the specimens on the top of the box. We will ship the cardboard and blotters back to you.
What if I don’t have a GPS or plant press?
We have a limited number of GPS units and plant presses that we can loan to you on a first come first serve basis.
What if don’t have a Fed-ex near me?
You can go to your local U.S. Post Office to ship. Include the cost of shipment on your invoice.
Collecting seeds
How would I obtain collection permits from CBG?
Let us know which sites you are interested in collecting at and who the land-owner is. Any contact info that you already have would be appreciated.
Can I make repeated collections from the same population to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
Seed samples from a single population that are collected over a period of approximately one week are likely to share similar viability, germination and storage characteristics. We recommend that normally, samples from this length period can be combined to achieve a single, larger collection. If seed has to be collected in stages from across the entire season, the initial samples must be held at low relative humidity (e.g. over silica gel) or dispatched to the seed bank to prevent unnecessary ageing. The field data form should be used to record the dates and handling used for the parts of the collection, which should be given a suffix e.g. a, b, c, to allow any variation in the quality of the samples to be managed. We would not normally combine seed from collections over more than one month.
Can I collect from several locations to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
The sampling strategy is intended to achieve a representative sample of the genetic diversity of a single population. Seed samples may only be combined into a single population sample if samples have been collected:
From groups of apparently similar individual plants from nearby locations, and
The Seed Collection Reference Number on the form - Is this a reference number that I keep up, or a number that CBG has on file for each species?
The Seed Collection Reference Number is generated by CBG’s database as we enter the collection data. You do not need to enter anything into this field.
I think I have the right species, but I’m not sure?
The Chicago Botanic Garden does not have any herbarium staff that can ID for you. The best step is to find a qualified local botanist to ID your specimen and/or take a few specimens to a local herbarium. If this is not an option, send specimens and photos to us and we can forward them on to another agency. Species ID can take time, so try and get the ID process moving before the species goes to seed. We strongly recommend taking digital photos of diagnostic features so that a quick ID by a specialist can be made if necessary.