Mapping Species Distributions

WHERE TO LEARN MORE

Lilacbush (Aubrieta deltoidea), photo by Hans Roemer.

In addition to E-Flora BC, there are several resources available where you can learn more about BC's wild plants.

• Various taxonomy and identification courses are offered through our universities and community colleges--check their calenders for current offerings.
• Participate in plant identification workshops offered by community groups such as the Native Plant Society of BC. Invasive plants groups often offer workshops on weed identification. See for example the Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia spotter's workshops on weed identification.
• Join Nature Vancouver and participate in their botany group and botany field trips around BC--learn from knowledgeable naturalists who know their plants. This group covers plants (vascular plants, algae and bryophytes) as well as lichens and fungi.
• Use field guides, such as Plants of Coastal British Columbia ( Lone Pine Press), to help identify plants. These can introduce you to our wild plants. Become familiar with technical manuals that cover all species in our region. View a list of field guides and manuals that are available for BC.
• For fungi, become familiar with two key websites: Matchmaker, the Gilled Fungi of the Pacific Northwest, and the Pacific Northwest Key Council keys for fungi identification.
• Visit BC's plant musuems:
  • the UBC herbarium in Vancouver
  • the Herbarium at the University of Victoria
  • the Royal BC Museum Herbarium
  • These museums store thousands of plants specimens representing all of the species in British Columbia. Using specimens can help you learn to identify our wild species and become familiar with the key traits of species and families of plants
• Read BEN (Botanical Electronic News), an on-line BC botanical newsletter filled with information on plant species in BC.