A Consulting Botanist’s Toolkit
Carnegie Museum of Natural History • Ford Mateer Classroom • Pittsburgh, PA
November 6, 2013

This workshop instructed participants in the skills needed to correctly conduct plant surveys, document findings for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP), prepare reports to submit to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and prepare museum quality plant voucher specimens. The day included a mix of classroom instruction, discussion and hands-on activities followed by a tour of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History herbarium. Instructors are Kelly Sitch and Andrew Rohrbaugh, DCNR botanists, and Bonnie Isaac, Botany Herbarium Collection Manager, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Workshop location

The  Carnegie Museum of Natural History is located in Oakland, in the east end of the City of Pittsburgh (Allegheny County). It is within walking distance of Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and Magee Women’s Hospital. Driving directions and further information are available at: www.carnegiemnh.org/directions/.

Workshop instructors

Andrew Rohrbaugh, MS. Andrew is a botanist for DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry.  He previously worked for as an environmental review specialist for five years.  Andrew received his Masters in Wildlife Biology from Shippensburg University.

Kelly Sitch, MS. Kelly is a botanist for the PA Bureau of Forestry, working primarily with Species of Special Concern management on state lands as well as vegetation monitoring in and around Marcellus Shale gas development on State Forest land.  He previously worked as an PNDI Environmental Review Specialist for 3 years.  Kelly received his Masters of Science in Forestry from Penn State University.

Bonnie L. Isaac, MS. Bonnie Isaac is the Collection Manager in the herbarium at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. She has been affiliated with Carnegie Museum for more than 24 years and holds an appointment as Adjunct Research Scientist at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Bonnie received her Masters degree in Plant Sciences from Youngstown State University.  She also earned an International Diploma in Herbarium Techniques from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Additional contributions from PA Botanists were introduced during the day.