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Small Collections Grant

This page is used to provide assessment scores for each  grant application assigned to you. Please use the rubric below the grant details to enter your assessment scores and any notes you wish to include.
Please note that all scores entered must be whole numbers (no decimals), or you will be unable to save this form.

Strengthening the Atewa Forest A Rocha Ghana Herbarium (AFARG) for Conservation and Research

jacqueline.kumadoh@arocha.org

Ghana

Database, Curate specimens, Digitally image, Ship to another institution, Conserve

Cost (USD): 

3000

AFARG

A Rocha Ghana

Objective:

Objectives
1.Improve the physical conservation status of 411 tree specimens through proper mounting, labeling, and archival storage.
2.Digitize all specimens and develop a structured herbarium database using the Global Biodiversity Information Facility standards
3.Conduct taxonomic curation including verification of identifications, updating family classification (APG IV system) and flagging potential type or novel material.
4.Secure collections through distribution of duplicate specimens to Ghana’s National Herbarium.
5.Build staff and student capacity in herbarium management and digitization

Timetable:

Activities Timelines
Activities Timeline
Training on how to properly mount herbarium specimen Month 1
Purchase archival materials for mounting and labeling specimen Month 1-2
Prepare specimen for mounting, labeling and digitalization Month 2
Mounting and labelling of specimen Month 3-6
Taxonomic curation Month 7
Imaging, digitization of herbarium specimen and development of database Month 8-10
Secure collections by transferring duplicates to Ghana Herbarium Month 11
Prepare final report to IAPT Month 12

Scoring Rubric

Reviewer's name:

Collection Improvement (max. 120 points)

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  • Facilitating access to the physical collections by digitization (e.g., data entry, setting up database structure with an outline of the platform to be used, purchasing equipment, and imaging specimens) – up to 30 points.

  • Enhancing physical collections by improving the conservation status of specimens in the herbarium (e.g., better folders, protecting covers, mounting paper, labeling, etc.) – up to 30 points.

  • Curating specimens (e.g., updating families, species identification, identifying types) – up to 20 points.

  • Increasing our understanding of the flora or funga by making new herbarium specimens available, such as processing of backlog or collecting and mounting of new specimens from understudied sites – up to 20 points.

  • Securing collections by distribution of duplicates (or orphan collections) to other regional or international herbaria or shipping endangered collections to another herbarium – up to 20 points.

This proposal scores:

/120

Methods & Funding (max. 40 points)

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  • Match between the proposed budget and methods for the aims described – up to 10 points.

  • Perceived need, the extent to which the project will benefit from IAPT funding: e.g., due to active floristic work or contribution to poorly collected sites, due to threatened conditions of collections, and for the degree of involvement of others (outreach and education). We give more points for herbaria in low- and middle-income countries – up to 20 points.

  • Sharing duplicate specimens with other herbaria – up to 10 points.

This proposal scores:

/40

Broader Impacts (max. 40 points)

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  • Degree of regional importance of the collection or the taxonomic importance of the targeted collection – up to 10 points.

  • The project will yield durable benefits (specimens, digitized metadata, databases, websites) – up to 15 points.

  • The project involves outreach/mentoring and broad dissemination – up to 15 points.

This proposal scores:

/40

0

Year of last successful SCG application:

Has applicant applied for SCG before?:

No

Plan:

The project with support from the Ghana herbarium will train staff of A Rocha Ghana on how to properly mount herbarium specimen, aimed providing hands-on capacity building for the herbarium curator and other staff who will support the management of the herbarium and future collections. The project will also purchase archival-quality logistics to mount and label 411 specimens following international herbarium standards. A pest management protocol will be carried out before storage. These are aimed at improving the physical conservation of the specimen. In consultation with the Ghana Herbarium, Botanic Garden Conservation International and other regional taxonomist, the project will carry out taxonomic curation of the specimen aimed at ensuring the collections are scientifically up to date with current taxonomic information particularly species that are endemic to the Guinean Forest of West Africa. The project will image all mounted specimens and capture specimen metadata using standardized Darwin Core fields. The project will catalogue the digitized material into a database by publishing the digitized specimen on the GBIF platform. This is to enhance the scientific accessibility of the collection. Due to limited infrastructure of the Atewa herbarium, the project will send duplicate specimens to the Ghana Herbarium (GC) in order to secure the collections. This will ensure long-term preservation and scientific accessibility of the collection.

Institution:

IH Code:

Country:

Target areas:

Applicant First Name/s:

email:

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"Other" target:

Jacqueline

Mbawine

Applicant Last Name/s:

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