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The Value of Biological Collections and Citizen Science

When
April 07, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
2100 E 71st Street Indianapolis, IN 46220
Registered
1 registrant

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Speaker: Scott A. Namestnik

Scott Namestnik is the state botanist in the Indiana Department of Natural Resource, Indiana Natural Heritage data center, Division of Nature Preserves. Much of his work involves conducting botanical inventories, assessing sites for protection consideration, and documenting and monitoring occurrences of endangered and threatened species. He has a degree in Botany with a focus in Environmental Science from Miami University and over 25 years of experience with the flora of the Great Lakes region and the Midwestern United States. His written work on flora has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals including The Michigan Botanist, The Great Lakes Botanist, Phytoneuron, Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, and Rhodora, and he is co-author of Wildflowers of the Midwest (Timber Press) and Wildflowers of the Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana University Press). He is a board member for NatureCITE, Indiana Native Plant Society (North Chapter) and South Bend-Elkhart Audobon Society, is on the advisory council for Shirley Heinze Land Trust and the planning committee for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, and is active with the Indiana Native Plant Society (Journal Team Leader) and the Indiana Academy of Science (member of the Biodiversity and Natural Areas Committee and past Chair of the Plant Systematics and Biodiversity section). Scott is a highly sought after speaker, including as keynote speaker for the 2023 open house of the Friesner Herbarium at Butler University.

Everyone isn’t a biologist but everyone can still play a part in building our understanding through citizen/community science. What better life long learning than getting involve in contributing to citizen science projects. Scott will share his vast knowledge of the flora and fauna of Indiana and suggestions on how members of Scientech Club can get involved as citizen scientists.

Program: Live and Zoom: The Value of Biological Collections and Citizen Science

Speaker: Scott Namestnik, BS, Botanist, Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center, INDNR

Introduced By: Betty Yan

Attendance: NESC: 96; Zoom: 29

Guest(s): Christine and Dennis Gehlhausen and at least one guest unlogged.

Scribe: Russell Judd

Editor: Carl Warner

View a Zoom recording of this talk at: https://www.scientechclubvideos.org/zoom/04072025.mp4

Today's speaker was Scott Nemestnik, and he was introduced by Betty Yan, a fellow club member. Scott is the State Botanist with the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources. He is involved with the Indiana Nature Preserves Division’s Heritage Data Center. Graduating from Miami University with a degree in botany and a focus on environmental science, Scott has over 25 years’ experience with the flora of the Great Lakes region and the Midwestern United States. He began his talk by saying that everyone can't be a biologist but they can still play a part in building our understanding of nature through citizen/community efforts in biological projects.

Scott stressed the importance of the Indiana Data Center in the Division of Nature Preserves. Indiana's heritage program and center was formed in 1978 and is an inventory of natural areas in the state, the status and distribution of species, and conservation concerns. With the data informing plans for land acquisition, the impact on wetlands and energy projects can be seen. Biological collections such as plants are important for study; their prevalence, numbers and variety are all time and conditions dependent. Now is a new era for botanists as specimens can be kept in a large building called a herbarium with the names of specimens and other data digitalized. These herbaria contain a wealth of information about the biodiversity of specimens, contain material for DNA

analysis, rare specimen location, climate change effects, distribution of species, etc.

Citizen Science is important. Everyone can still play a part in building our understanding of nature. Often people work on projects in collaboration with professionals or institutions. It can be very cost effective and obtain a lot of information or data faster; people often learn a lot about nature and enjoy it. Examples of some projects are Hoosier Riverwatch, Christmas Bird Count and Frog Watch.

Scott finished his talk with a quote of E.O. Wilson, "Humanity doesn't need a moon base or a manned trip to Mars. We need an expedition to planet Earth where probably fewer than 10% of the life forms are known to science and fewer than 1% of these have been studied beyond a simple anatomical description and a few notes on natural history.”

Scott Namestnik

The Scientech Club provides a forum for weekly presentations and discussions in science, technology, and other topics. The Club meets most Mondays at the Northside Events Center and Social Club (2100 E. 71st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220.