Linda PJ (Jennings) Lipsen has been the Collections Curator at the University of British Columbia Herbarium, Beaty Biodiversity Museum for the past 16 years. Plants have stories to tell, and Linda is passionate about uncovering and illuminating stories through exhibitions, on-line videos and images, collection tours, and activities, including hands-on workshops. She delights in connecting people to the century-old collection she curates, and in sharing the history of botany and its female botanists, the collectors behind the specimens, and the use of collections in teaching and research.
Linda holds a BSc and MSc from UBC, previously working for the UBC Botanical Garden and teaching in UBC’s Department of Botany, Linda now designs and leads a variety of specimen-based educational activities where you can have connections to the collections and research while making a positive impact with real results! Linda’s research has involved using herbarium specimens, including DNA, geography, morphology, and climate history, to look back at ecological responses to climate change and to help us predict the future impacts on biodiversity.
Linda has also encouraged the public to learn about native plants, how to press them and shares stories of treasures in the herbarium collection. Linda also runs numerous plant pressing workshops that are open to the public – join one and share in her joy of biodiversity stewardship.
