The Jepson eFlora: How Floristic Work & Community Involvement Help Maintain It

Join Nina House to learn how the Jepson eFlora is revised annually through botanical research, field work, herbarium data, and broad public participation—and learn how you can get involved.

The Jepson eFlora is the definitive resource for the native and naturalized vascular plants of California. The eFlora contains information that is vital to conservation and protection of the California flora, including taxonomic treatments, distribution maps, illustrations, photographs, and identification keys. The Jepson eFlora is revised annually. Revisions are a collaborative effort and rely on botanical research, field work, herbarium data, and broad public participation.

Nina House’s presentation will explore how the Jepson eFlora is maintained, detailing how ongoing revisions are informed by floristic work, a network of taxonomic experts, and community feedback. Attendees will leave with practical ways to get involved with the Jepson eFlora, whether it be joining for a day in the field, a keying session, a herbarium volunteer day, or submitting feedback, and with a clearer understanding of how contributing to the Jepson eFlora ultimately strengthens the botanical tools we rely on every day.

Nina House works at the University and Jepson Herbaria at the University of California, Berkeley as the Managing Editor of the Jepson eFlora and a Coordinator for the Jepson Public Programs. She holds a Master’s degree in Botany from Claremont Graduate University and a Biology B.S. degree with a minor in Sustainability Studies from State University of New York at Oswego. She has served on the boards of several professional societies, currently including Southern California Botanists, where she’s Editor of Leaflets, and California Botanical Society, where she is the Communication Specialist.