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The intent
of the Plant Information Center (PIC) is to connect the research
community and the general public (including school children)
so that primary research materials owned by the University can
be made available to these new audiences and that expert knowledge
may also be shared. PIC is also driven by the desire to nurture
the interest and enthusiasm of these audiences in the study
of trees, plants, and natural history. We believe PIC will help
people observe nature more closely and more knowledgeably so
that they will be led to protect our natural heritage.
We will realize this vision through sharing the resources of
the UNC Herbarium in a virtual way over the Internet. A herbarium
is a museum collection of plant specimens with associated label
and research data. Herbaria are the fundamental documentation
of plant diversity. The UNC Herbarium, founded in 1908, includes
over 600,000 labeled museum specimens of plants, algae, fungi,
and fossils. It is the largest collection in the southeastern
United States and specializes in the collection of plants of
this region.
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