I have some sad new to share about a colleague of ours who was part of our Natural History community and the TORCH organization. She had great impact wherever she landed, and I recall meeting her first when she was Collections Manger at the Angelo State Natural History Collection. I have wonderful memories of her at annual meetings of SPNHC (Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections).
The registration deadline for the TORCH meeting is tomorrow! It will be held July 8-10 at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station in Kingston, OK. You can register for the meeting here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA5AAZq31CYV4uR53chqL0FJVIxxVtEyfyO6YNiFBpfdrb5Q/viewform__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4jCQMl9MGRjpkBn9StMAiDSr6kBkHiN7w3NuOluvkHZY2ezjNb6IRyAAhmObjU7H3iQUnp7UoQPTOKGwebFWyA$>.
We may host a demonstration/workshop session for managing your data in the TORCH Symbiota Portal. Please send us any specific requests of features, or use cases, you'd be interested in hearing more about.
Agenda and notes from last month's meeting here: Agenda and notes<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ekfb4W04KxKCMsYTNQXnIOmpCHw4lYV/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104350415121385170544&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!9FVLMvLcj1rN6ahx8dzoylgujFDf-r56HnH7KpRPe04pqKE-gs68LkBwQoVviGu79foDM4FA0jzWIoY2k--uTg$ [docs[.]google[.]com]>
Please consider volunteering to take notes for this meeting!
Often referred to as the Biological Crossroad of North America, East Texas is a habitat diverse and species rich area (3,524) with roughly two-thirds of the plant species known for Texas. The Illustrated Flora of East Texas captures, reflects, and informs our understanding of the vascular plants of East Texas (Pineywoods, Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie ecoregions). Volume 1 (ferns, gymnosperms, monocots) was published in 2006, and Volume 2 is finally here! A 1,072-page taxonomic reference work, Volume 2 describes the native and naturalist species from the Acanthaceae through the Fabaceae (1,403 species). The East
Ooops, I am not staying and will only want the lunch on July 9th. Sorry about that.
Mary Curry
On 6/10/2026 1:50 PM, Tiana Rehman wrote: > Good afternoon, TORCH community! Title submissions are due by midnight > tonight (June 10th) by completing this Google Form (abstracts are not > required). Registration is required by June 23rd. More details can be > found in Mara's email below, and > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart > External Email > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd > Good afternoon, TORCH community! > > Title submissions are due by midnight tonight (June 10th) by > completing this Google Form > <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://forms.gle/zjiVPunnhVQVkDJG6__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!_bkztwG1yEtAWyr0zR_6WY6N7XWexYbccNKxMo4iRk3aPNcoRs3018sWJtgvfVgt1NoBGcxPmQPGpmh18Ozdg-FyPHX9IjDI$> (abstracts > are
Title submissions are due by midnight tonight (June 10th) by completing this Google Form<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://forms.gle/zjiVPunnhVQVkDJG6__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!_bkztwG1yEtAWyr0zR_6WY6N7XWexYbccNKxMo4iRk3aPNcoRs3018sWJtgvfVgt1NoBGcxPmQPGpmh18Ozdg-FyPHX9IjDI$> (abstracts are not required). Registration is required by June 23rd. More details can be found in Mara's email below, and at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.torcherbaria.org/meetings/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7IRwVvs_J-vwYFKv1frDhxtiizJ0weVj1Q0B6q3pHiDB1DAz3-c7BIEOxlzrbS_1ji6dlYJSGOxbOxTyuY4$ [torcherbaria[.]org]
We may host a demonstration/workshop session for managing your data in the TORCH Symbiota Portal.<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/index.php__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7IRwVvs_J-vwYFKv1frDhxtiizJ0weVj1Q0B6q3pHiDB1DAz3-c7BIEOxlzrbS_1ji6dlYJSGOxb8XZmnk0$ [portal[.]torcherbaria[.]org]> Please send us any specific requests of features, or use cases, you'd be interested in hearing more about.
Reminder that the deadline for submitting presentations at the 2026 TORCH Annual Conference is Wednesday, June 10th (including day of)! Please use this form<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsrDfN9tqGjPevCHCamwGAPrDP2WQ1xVTlSxwwamqnP9WLMw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116478520194963302193__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4LixfwLPUVjREGL2ujrru485IHVi9ND-akSflaRafBtkLuBvjhIr6LFkbSyXqkja1egIZn3zWHn-F0Bu5BakIif0vqhwr2gU$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsrDfN9tqGjPevCHCamwGAPrDP2WQ1xVTlSxwwamqnP9WLMw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116478520194963302193__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4LixfwLPUVjREGL2ujrru485IHVi9ND-akSflaRafBtkLuBvjhIr6LFkbSyXqkja1egIZn3zWHn-F0Bu5BakIif0vqhwr2gU$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> to submit a 5-minute lightning talk, a 15-minute presentation, poster or workshop/longer talk!
Conference registration is open until June 23 and available here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA5AAZq31CYV4uR53chqL0FJVIxxVtEyfyO6YNiFBpfdrb5Q/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116478520194963302193__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4LixfwLPUVjREGL2ujrru485IHVi9ND-akSflaRafBtkLuBvjhIr6LFkbSyXqkja1egIZn3zWHn-F0Bu5BakIif0vpJNpdWi$ [docs[.]google[.]com]>. Please feel free to direct questions to any or all of the following: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]
The deadline to submit a presentation for the 2026 annual in-person TORCH meeting has been extended to June 10th, 2026. Please use this form<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsrDfN9tqGjPevCHCamwGAPrDP2WQ1xVTlSxwwamqnP9WLMw/viewform__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4jCQMl9MGRjpkBn9StMAiDSr6kBkHiN7w3NuOluvkHZY2ezjNb6IRyAAhmObjU7H3iQUnp7UoQPTOKFGUg86rQ$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> to submit a 5- or 15-minute talk or a poster.
The meeting will be July 8-10 at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station in Kingston, OK. You can register for the meeting here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA5AAZq31CYV4uR53chqL0FJVIxxVtEyfyO6YNiFBpfdrb5Q/viewform__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4jCQMl9MGRjpkBn9StMAiDSr6kBkHiN7w3NuOluvkHZY2ezjNb6IRyAAhmObjU7H3iQUnp7UoQPTOKGwebFWyA$ [docs[.]google[.]com]>.
Sorry for the late reminder/notification! We have a TORCH Steering Committee meeting today at 10 am.
Here's the agenda: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ypdi_GevoHb0IDKkdoApR3Z4UaSHYnee/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104350415121385170544&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6VNldPgJFiAsf6WdnQvsifh2DzLrulHpeHZdm6p92SWsvIzLkIe8uf9IwHwxBQaGzHMoHjPDbO4YUtWiQlEycA$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
And here's the meeting link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99269184142
Thanks for sharing. This turned out well! It is interesting to see what might contribute most to the observed distribution and diversity patterns. The Edwards Plateau remains something of an enigma, but the presence of elevated numbers of uncommon species and endemics has been known for a long time. Other parts of the state could be explained in part as an edge affect (the margins of an area are more susceptible to influx of colonizers and fragmentation of ranges than the central portion. This makes the Edwards Plateau even more unusual. Of course the "edges" are political boundaries.
Please consider providing your input on the TORCH Symbiota Portal, so Jason and I might best share your thoughts and concerns in preparation for a Symbiota Portal Managers Meeting (May 19-20 in San Luis Obispo, CA).
Complete this Google form<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGaocFGMlzRr97mn0upvJY1nnRMCvXvyUYqWiRvFDNfYzyYg/viewform?usp=header__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-Kvqv4CS2A0EmJ-wQonra9tsaMOj-yTBJ9TKnEpBqn4_upx7sqLhvFjqG25WzLoX3XZrx1QJ0Kbnyx3cRd8$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> with your input (short URL: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://forms.gle/sK1UssdoGremxpcL6__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-Kvqv4CS2A0EmJ-wQonra9tsaMOj-yTBJ9TKnEpBqn4_upx7sqLhvFjqG25WzLoX3XZrx1QJ0Kbn_p-K_1E$ [forms[.]gle]). If possible, please respond by Friday, May 15th.
This paper would not have possible without the tremendous group effort of the TORCH community. Thanks to those of you who participated in the digitization of TORCH collections. I hope you find the insights into the flora of Texas and Oklahoma interesting.
We invite you to register for the upcoming 2026 annual TORCH Conference 8-10 July 2026, at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station in Kingston, OK.
Paying for your stay at the biological station will be done through their website. When they provide us with the link to do so, we will send it out to all of you, and it will be added to the registration form. However, you do not need to complete that before submitting your registration form, if fact we encourage you to submit your registration first!
The agenda for tomorrow's meeting is here: 2026-04-15 Agenda<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1InrGXY0Lkq2Aez1OOAzI8ki5uK0YQw8G/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114960955539338128287&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7lodypM96fAcMpOA9JXr5xDNHvB7XLnfHUz7vOXVjBWIwMAdEST9wi_zuLq8P0pih62XKmM15kx65dcWeaI$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1InrGXY0Lkq2Aez1OOAzI8ki5uK0YQw8G/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114960955539338128287&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7lodypM96fAcMpOA9JXr5xDNHvB7XLnfHUz7vOXVjBWIwMAdEST9wi_zuLq8P0pih62XKmM15kx65dcWeaI$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> Meeting at 3pm tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/15): https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/97991607938
Here are the March meeting notes<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HynBxV0TpOJKAFRcRE_K6Bf3Ze7iTFre/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114960955539338128287&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7lodypM96fAcMpOA9JXr5xDNHvB7XLnfHUz7vOXVjBWIwMAdEST9wi_zuLq8P0pih62XKmM15kx6g3XlWEQ$ [docs[.]google[.]com]>. Please consider volunteering to take notes at tomorrow's meeting!
Muchas gracias, Tiana
Tiana F. Rehman (she/her) | Director of Herbarium Collections (BRIT-SMU-VDB-NLU) Botanical Research Institute of Texas | 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76107-3400 | fwbg.org [log in to unmask] | O: 817.332.4441 | D: 817.546.1845
There are some open positions in our region for Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer (Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist) with the Department of Agriculture and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Please share with anyone you think may be interested.
I have never seen or used the palm folder used for Bryophytes. I have always used boxes and am well aware of the dangers of stuffing, but had never considered the issue of the soil falling.
I am starting our collection from scratch here. The area of northwestern Oklahoma is desperately under sampled for the Bryophytes. I am starting on the urban mosses, primarily because I still need to work out getting access to land. I will be databasing all my collections as soon as I get them in the herbarium so that they will
We use palm folders at TTC: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://herbariumsupply.com/product/palm-folders-137/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-dhgKRvZBccOQmxlp8lBiBShqzNNWtiHV8kgIZuCbBKzRuLO6AQjsYPE0BfDCqUokq3mtoU1YphWsVrCpU734bqyOa0$ [herbariumsupply[.]com] See attached photos - they work nicely within existing cabinets, and you can put probably 40 specimens in a folder and five folders per standard herbarium cabinet “cubby". Our collection is very small - only about 300 specimens in that photo but we’ve left ourselves plenty of room to grow within each palm folder!
I doubt that you will find consensus on this question. Because I used to work at the Missouri Botanical Garden, when I arrived at the University of Texas I copied the practice at that institution for our small bryophyte collection of using 4-6 inch card filing cabinets, which work well to store standard moss packets vertically (but do not seal as well as real herbarium cabinets. I have also seen herbaria that use standard herbarium cabinets with bin boxes (e.g., https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://herbariumsupply.com/product-category/storage-filing/bin-boxes/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7hQ9aC4cE939YycVWTX6Kh7GcOdUZc--ELJ-2U0GFpL1tHCbqeE0l0XIalo4pH1zC1nV7p46GqTbX_xaJRNbp67ToFFqekKSZrOrYe8$ [herbariumsupply[.]com]), usually with a divider down the middle of the box to facilitate the creation of two rows
I am actively collecting Bryophyte specimens in Northwestern Oklahoma as part of my research at NWOSU. At my old university, Bryophyte specimen packets were housed in specimen boxes (about six inches wide).
How does your herbarium house Bryophyte specimens and where do you get the specimen boxes (if you use them)?
The conference will begin in the afternoon on the 8th. We expect check-in to start around 1:00 PM followed by one or more welcome events or workshops before dinner starts at 5:30 PM. The exact timing of events will depend on what talks and workshops people indicate during registration.
Dr. Alexandria Szakacs Assistant Professor & Herbarium Curator (DUR) Southeastern Oklahoma State University Department of Biological Sciences Office: Biological Science 235
Hey Tiana, What time will the conference start on the 8th ? I ask because we have a committee meeting for TxPCA that morning which I can't miss and want to know well beforehand what will/will not overlap:) anna
The Steering Committee of the Texas Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria (TORCH) is delighted to invite you to the 2026 annual TORCH Conference 8-10 July 2026, at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station in Kingston, OK. This meeting is an opportunity to reconnect with the core practices that support herbaria and botanical research, while learning from one another’s experiences across our region. We hope you’ll join us and add your voice to the conversation—our community is stronger for it. Conference highlights will include oral presentations, lightning talks, a poster session, workshop(s), a business meeting,
The agenda for tomorrow's meeting is here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EEDhvRb_jFmvBXR5VkbWDZrUbEg54qRc/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104350415121385170544&rtpof=true&sd=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!92dX2Qktps-NTGw4d5TJVmBweHmTib9JolPpaYSUTjUC-85iS7YY7dxuIIeP4aAHTH-EkLfeEq6E6Uxu-E64cQ$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
One thing that I am not sure if everyone realizes is that the new process refers to getting an account on TACC for uploading of images to the archive for those images to be linked to the Symbiota portal. It does not refer to the process of getting an account on the Symbiota portal for dealing with the database. If you aren't doing the imaging, making the derivative images of various sizes, and then uploading those images to TACC for linking to the Symbiota database, you can ignore this thread.
Rachel, Thank you! And as you mention, separate logins for each individual are ideal, especially when you want to scale up to multiple participants. From a security perspective, it's much better to have one account per person, especially when they may come and go on the project (and TACC requires this to comply with their terms of service) but also from a practical standpoint, it is difficult to use a shared two factor authentication among multiple individuals.
This is great and very timely. I have a research intern working in the herbarium this semester and want him to have access to TORCH. I've had him working under my login but it would be ideal to have him on his own for the reasons you mention.
I will have future interns/work studies in the herbarium who will also need access. Is it okay for me to have a single intern sign on/email address or should each student have their own account?
Mark and Jason, let me know if I need to do anything to have access. I do use the portal when working on FloraOK projects, but I don’t edit or alter anything on the site. I’d let the curators know if there were any issues and doubt I even have that level of access.
This seems like a sensible and efficient process to me. I don’t foresee any issues.
Mark
From: Texas-Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Jason Best <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 3:08 PM To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Subject: New process for access to TORCH project on TACC
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [log in to unmask] Learn why this is important<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!53CBC85Ap6qnsiBBefWYTadjtlcTeK-ICphijvKsfDFBEHe9DFdR0wii64WQOKJOWrTgI7RNzJmAt315tv1ueOs8yOdPYEM$ [aka[.]ms]> External Email
In an effort to reduce the chance of deception and misuse of access privileges to TORCH images on TACC, I'm recommending a new process for access approval to include initiation or confirmation by a known contact at a collection. This process will follow the steps of new account creation for students/staff/volunteers/etc. who need access to upload, manage, and delete files within your collection's directories on TACC within the TORCH project. This change was discussed in today's TORCH meeting and the following reflects my attempt to capture the intended process. The document for this process (among others) is at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xqde3W0FMJmBD8ERWt7N7sWGvaigl0gEQITNbUgrOc/edit?tab=t.0__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-b7WIEq5OLeJtCVbv7OybSBNm3M1m2tAGOnDAkJMu3A2gQmyA3o0VAX9j2exev7oa-2jIXMWxbYZCXk$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
Jason Best and I plan to give a presentation next Wednesday, February 11th from 9 AM - 10 AM via Zoom on instructions for uploading herbarium specimen images to the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), generating derivatives and URLs, and linking them to Symbiota. This presentation will be recorded and shared along other documentation on the TORCH website.
The information below was originally shared in the Texas Plant Conservation Alliance (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.savetexasplants.org/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!5XN-NES1iXqg4OP3huj765UlZ-2nUsfHVi0DLyYnjNZUa-QjzdTF9kNjo9cRDzlOMb06tYuB21KoO9Od50w$ [savetexasplants[.]org]) listserv.
Our Native Plant Society of Texas prioritizes education in pursuit of better understanding our native (Texas) flora, so please share the following with any of your undergraduate students who qualify. Two scholarships are available, and the application window is open Feb 1- March 15, 2026. From https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.npsot.org/our-work/grants-scholarships/scholarships/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!5XN-NES1iXqg4OP3huj765UlZ-2nUsfHVi0DLyYnjNZUa-QjzdTF9kNjo9cRDzlOMb06tYuB21Ko2yd9k64$ [npsot[.]org]: "The Native Plant Society of Texas offers two scholarships for undergraduates at Texas colleges who major in biology, ecology, botany, landscape architecture, horticulture or related fields and who will be juniors or seniors in the fall of
Just a reminder for our first TORCH Steering Committee meeting of 2026. We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 21 at 2 pm. Here is the meeting link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99207819066
And here is the agenda: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1st-yPxXW7xGuBiux3bTgw8-hNYcsnpNf/edit__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7QKBg0eAR6l0saOyXLz37lf46G4mdk4HILyJgen-VrtpeTtES7UOozWXfIDdApNGilYAMKwrIA6yiyp8SiDafQ$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
I am recruiting motivated Master’s students in Botany at Angelo State University (San Angelo, Texas, US), for a program that combines research independence with professional stability. The position includes a paid Greenhouse Manager role (part-time) with high scheduling flexibility throughout the two-year program and thesis work. Students may develop their own research project in botany or join my ongoing research lines, including:
Please join us for our first TORCH Steering Committee meeting of 2026! We will be meeting on Wednesday, January 21 at 2 pm. Here is the meeting link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99207819066
Unfortunately, we were not able to come up with a consistent time to meet each month, so we will decide on a date and time from month to month.
I have a couple of students enrolled in Plant Kingdom this Spring. We will be working on a project for the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences involving the Bryophyte Flora in our (vastly undercollected) region of Northwestern Oklahoma. Some of them may be interested in the workshop and I will advertise it for them next week when classes start.
Notes from last month's meeting: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ei5tnCTOzVaWmslMPx1j0dvMvV_iobYwirzTOhwSi60/edit?tab=t.0__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6Ari5JGLoujJIroUh7CLfb0XfVqE6kouAt3OuLbqMC8K4G42eprOnwX8gYxz9IJHWNc8x9BV2iDVNYPGLh0MYA$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
Next Monday is our last Steering Committee meeting for 2025 (the 15th at 9 am). Please join us if you can.
Here are the notes from last month's meeting: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ei5tnCTOzVaWmslMPx1j0dvMvV_iobYwirzTOhwSi60/edit?tab=t.0__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!4A6x6ue91bvR9rInUpFvyTXLsMKGAN25d0JB-LqR_ian-UpH90QKRohG6mmwNa1PbKdgIYtP2vVacWDrJG05xw$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
And here is the meeting link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/93200319098
I believe Tiana said that this information comes from a download from Index Herbariorum (please correct me if I'm wrong, Tiana). There, on each collection's main page, is information about taxonomic coverage. There is also a tab for "collections summary". Fungi are not included in either spot for y'all.
Amy, In the TORCH agenda, I visited the link (#3) with the herbarium listings. Do you know if curators are including all of the "plant" groups in their listings (Jenna, did you include our fungus collection as part of our herbarium report)? And, for me of course this would mean fleshy fungi (!), and I would not know for sure how plant pathologists list their collections. There does not seem to be a breakdown of what groups constitute the holdings in the herbaria (flowering plants, seedless vascular plants, algae, bryophytes, lichens, fungi, etc. ). Someone might like to know what
The agenda for next Monday's meeting is available here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R_jTA7W_QxzGkf4VQZgH8XAIHWzH_feL/edit__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!9A__KTFLrKrEoYtjAdFxH-QSGbJsJnuA1hJapfZ4IoXpbxu1mwX0xO6WWxENkiT2RYUd8ykIyrL8ck7vjeoAtA$ [docs[.]google[.]com]
The Zoom link is here: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/97522280258
We hope that you are able to join us at the November virtual TORCH monthly meeting on Monday, 17th of Nov. 2025 (9am). This is an opportunity to bring up ideas, questions, comments, and concerns that affect our herbarium community, and to share projects and news from your herbarium.
We'd like to hear your ideas (and understand your constraints) as we plan for the 2026 TORCH Annual Meeting. Please fill out the 2026 TORCH Meeting Survey<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBR1LkbTYOOMZe0JNtF6JLzk94Zr09lXPml2GqsbWvm271Vw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114960955539338128287__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6NOcZYrCpsE2ivEstMyW89ZQEdUPM6ie3BGv9NE52HRzFS3kgaumd2D33uwLnfiYXeSxzLHx8yimXdLuyXM$ [docs[.]google[.]com]> before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Do you know someone not yet on this listserv that ought to be? Have them sign up here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.torcherbaria.org/contact/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6NOcZYrCpsE2ivEstMyW89ZQEdUPM6ie3BGv9NE52HRzFS3kgaumd2D33uwLnfiYXeSxzLHx8yimCUYzWxs$ [torcherbaria[.]org]
Just a note to mention that Lauren will be away on a trip and I will be attending the meeting as her proxy.
Be well,
GY
George Yatskievych, Ph.D. Botanist, Curator: Billie L. Turner Plant Resources Center, University of Texas at Austin Main Bldg Rm 127, 110 Inner Campus Dr, Stop F0404, Austin, TX 78712-1711 U.S.A. Tel. 512-471-5904; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
We hope that you are able to join us at the October virtual TORCH Monthly Meeting on Monday, 20th of Oct. 2025 (9am). This is an opportunity to bring up ideas, questions, comments, and concerns that affect our herbarium community, and to share projects and news from your herbarium.
This is a Zoom meeting that can be joined at 9am on 2025-10-20 by following this link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/94673539282 .
We hope that you are able to join us at the October virtual TORCH Monthly Meeting on Monday, 20th of Oct. 2025 (9am). This is an opportunity to bring up ideas, questions, comments, and concerns that affect our herbarium community, and to share projects and news from your herbarium.
This is a Zoom meeting that can be joined at 9am on 2025-10-20 by following this link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/94673539282 .
At our annual meeting in July, the TORCH Steering Committee decided to extend an invitation to subsequent meetings to all members of the TORCH community. Please make a note of the following dates if you would like to attend:
October 20, 9 am November 17, 9 am December 15, 9 am
Zoom links and a call for agenda items will be sent out approximately a week before each meeting. Meetings will be recorded if you are interested but can't make it.
There are expected to be some upcoming positions with USDA (Botanist, Plant Protection Technician, and Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist); only the Plant Protection Technician role is expected to have positions open in Texas or Oklahoma (Houston, TX). Check https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.usajobs.gov/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7-LRYNOX0tGLFIYxDQdOcmjLJJlWle-GjdEFOlkIP5kvcPSQFZ6E9o8FDoAgb6rBBOwZVfDdWXTljshdekU$ [usajobs[.]gov] for the relevant announcement numbers listed below this message. Please share!
I'm excited to share the announcement for an open position at BRIT (see below); come work with our team! Applications are due October 31st, with a desired (flexible) start date of January 5, 2026.
Cheers, Tiana ---
Research Botanist
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG) seeks a highly motivated Research Botanist with a primary focus on plant systematics and complementary interests in floristics, ecology, and/or conservation. Research incorporating a combination of scientific collections, field work, and genomics is preferred. The successful candidate will maintain an active research program as measured by scientific
In case you were unable to attend yesterday, there was an update from Symbiota on their monthly Support Hub. Here is the link to the recording: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umsrA9wtc8Q__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!_wy1w0IRv3koXFrpt6MSswKGB1oMldE7pDvzGxbmokFS_TUni1vu9YIXdHqZk7t7QZqjfxVOuxmlGA0nlZu2IMaNJmg$ [youtube[.]com]
TL;DW*:
* Arizona State security operations team brought in consultants to identify the issue: a sophisticated month-long attack using a breached password took advantage of exploits in Symbiota to attempt a ransomware attack on ASU systems (the ultimate target was not our specimens). * There is no data loss or data corruption from the Symbiota portals. The portals will be rolled back to the nightly backup from the first day
Please see the job position advertised below and share with your networks:
TPWD - Natural Resources Specialist I - II - III (Urban Wildlife Biologist)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=00050952&tz=GMT-05*3A00&tzname=America*2FChicago__;JSU!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6MWZABFifTCNkvdc5tSInZEuJYl8HH-lWVKcSbcbIdiPf0_jMh6EoRWJnZGY-ZcihPBw67p69g4HmiyfTgk$ [capps[.]taleo[.]net]>. The application deadline is August 5th at midnight.
A heads' up for anyone missing access to the TORCH Portal, please see the note from Symbiota below this message.
Most recent update (7/22 ~7:45pm): the TORCH Portal is now connecting to a new server which is running, but not yet configured for our portal; for now you'll see a generic ASU BioKIC page. We have no updates on when there will be a full restoration of the portal.
Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device Get Outlook for Android<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!6mJk-5J-AGcgOLpdXXtVHj13Bm7StLPERk4jg108_pEQx4rWavSj5pQ8rx3cVMW0nq4MkRJZm0hINjN6qVo$ [aka[.]ms]>
Sorry for all of the messages on TORCH-L. There was a problem with the listserv that I still don't understand, and fixing it released a bunch of messages that were held for some reason. Hopefully it is working now and we will see many of you at the TORCH business meeting tomorrow, either in person or online.
I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC
Dear all, I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC
Dear all, I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC
Dear all, I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC
Dear all, I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC
I hope we will see you all in-person at the TORCH annual business/curator meeting, this Friday (Jul. 18) at 11am in the Library at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. For those of you currently attending the Texas Plant Conservation Conference, this meeting will conflict with some of the offered on-site tours. I have enjoyed seeing the TORCH posters and presentations today, and look forward to more tomorrow. For those of you not attending TPCC, we invite you to join us via the Zoom link below this message, kindly set up by Jessi White, TPCC organizer. If you
I'd like to share the following job opportunities for you to distribute amongst your networks: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.usajobs.gov/job/839598600__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7pU0ej8dfJvc9UfNji145AGSIUgIaWy0xpAeMu4XwM7dKkC7bZJo4KLHh1_436ieRJ7cyKVvzx6XN3GNl_g$ [usajobs[.]gov]; application acceptance opens today and closes on July 3.
To be clear, these are not herbarium jobs, but positions with the United States Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Quarantine offices. The positions are across the USA, but there are 7 vacancies in Houston, Texas (based on where I've had to pick up shipments before, I imagine quite close to the Mercer Herbarium!<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/herbarium-details/?irn=224607__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7pU0ej8dfJvc9UfNji145AGSIUgIaWy0xpAeMu4XwM7dKkC7bZJo4KLHh1_436ieRJ7cyKVvzx6XTGimBE0$ [sweetgum[.]nybg[.]org]> Scroll to the location in this article that covers some of that herbarium's work: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://texashighways.com/culture/collections-of-dried-native-flowers-tell-the-story-of-texas/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!7pU0ej8dfJvc9UfNji145AGSIUgIaWy0xpAeMu4XwM7dKkC7bZJo4KLHh1_436ieRJ7cyKVvzx6XXYJ2SYI$ [texashighways[.]com]).
Tiana, I rsvp'd for the TORCH business meeting but will actually go on the TPCC Field Trip/Workshop at that time. I do not see how to un-rsvp for that. Thanks. Jeanne
On Sat, Jun 21, 2025 at 6:42 PM Tiana Rehman < [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> All, Virtual attendance to TPCC is unfortunately not available, however we > are doing our best (thanks to Jessi White and George Yatskievych) to allow > a virtual option for attendance at the TORCH meeting on Friday, July 18th > at 11am. An email > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart > External Email > > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd > All, > >
Tiana, I rsvp'd for the TORCH business meeting but will actually go on the TPCC Field Trip/Workshop at that time. I do not see how to un-rsvp for that. Thanks. Jeanne
On Sat, Jun 21, 2025 at 6:42 PM Tiana Rehman < [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> All, Virtual attendance to TPCC is unfortunately not available, however we > are doing our best (thanks to Jessi White and George Yatskievych) to allow > a virtual option for attendance at the TORCH meeting on Friday, July 18th > at 11am. An email > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart > External Email > > ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd > All, > >
Virtual attendance to TPCC is unfortunately not available, however we are doing our best (thanks to Jessi White and George Yatskievych) to allow a virtual option for attendance at the TORCH meeting on Friday, July 18th at 11am. An email should come out on this listserv if this virtual option becomes available for the TORCH meeting.
We are hours away from registration closing for the annual meeting! Register for TPCC/TORCH here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://lbjwc.ticketapp.org/portal/product/52/package/ad08bdad-df8f-4475-b7ae-6a3c032abee3?_gl=1*1lg232d*_ga*MTM5Njk5OTQ1NS4xNzQ4OTY2MjY4*_ga_TVYCW5PSYZ*czE3NTA0NDkzNjMkbzQkZzEkdDE3NTA0NDkzNjkkajU0JGwwJGgw__;KioqKio!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-NjUSTXJErfS8EIdqHeFxW6YBA5Qe5ANKhQGdutzSv4YYtoa-fxtkoXKL_h2Rpbg3uW3UE2ZVBT3tTejueA$ [lbjwc[.]ticketapp[.]org]>.
If you need assistance attending, please email me.
Please be reminded that year's TORCH meeting will consist of submitted talks at the Texas Plant Conservation Conference (Jul 16-18 ), and a business meeting of TORCH to take place at 11am on Friday, July 18th. These events will be held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. More information on the conference is available here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.wildflower.org/event/texas-plant-conservation-conference__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!57fS_flBX0OR6wmDmWel4HR8flTDdh3gMEZYYr-UPvxfz-1CHy1b4qwXZNMWQ9QMx5aSHoi8Qnyi0gpXzeU$ [wildflower[.]org]. Note that early registration ends May 15th, at which time abstracts are also due. We encourage you to submit an abstract. In addition to registering for the TPCC conference (payment required), please indicate your attendance at the TORCH
Please see the job posting, below, from TEX-LL herbarium curator, George Yatskievych.
[cid:image001.png@01DBC0EF.0A799AE0]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fwbg.org/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-xUTKWGsWeGmXEnkxvRnsCopXIupRb1DemsYBAIE8k_udlu6Pfhxsh2J1fuhq0-jILAMLg1ZI8aBUpvj0YY$ [fwbg[.]org]> . Tiana F. Rehman (she/her) Director of Herbarium Collections (BRIT-SMU-VDB-NLU) Botanical Research Institute of Texas [log in to unmask]<mailto:> | O: 817.332.4441 | D: 817.546.1845 fwbg.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fwbg.org/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-xUTKWGsWeGmXEnkxvRnsCopXIupRb1DemsYBAIE8k_udlu6Pfhxsh2J1fuhq0-jILAMLg1ZI8aBUpvj0YY$ [fwbg[.]org]> | 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76107-3400 | [cid:image002.png@01DBC0EF.0A799AE0] <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.facebook.com/FortWorthBotanicGarden__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-xUTKWGsWeGmXEnkxvRnsCopXIupRb1DemsYBAIE8k_udlu6Pfhxsh2J1fuhq0-jILAMLg1ZI8aBNanZk1k$ [facebook[.]com]> [cid:image003.png@01DBC0EF.0A799AE0] <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.instagram.com/fortworthbotanicgarden/__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-xUTKWGsWeGmXEnkxvRnsCopXIupRb1DemsYBAIE8k_udlu6Pfhxsh2J1fuhq0-jILAMLg1ZI8aB_7oUcX4$ [instagram[.]com]>
We respectfully acknowledge that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is located on traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples, primarily those of the Caddoan Language Family. We honor the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of all Indigenous Peoples who were sustained by these lands and give thanks to them. We
We have 3-4 Conservation and Collections paid internships available here at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The application window closes on April 30th (a quick turnaround for responses after that), and the internship will run from 19 May - 29 July 2025. Students will get field experience and herbarium experience. Visit https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fwbg.org/internships__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!8WEOjJtbdsYBv3BL3_W8fVyhREavvkfFteWjyJ-v6sG6vGHyZDTUYTFmqP677P_H0iSDVcSwxTEsKa2vRVA$ [fwbg[.]org] to apply for "Summer 2025 Conservation & Collection Internship".
Please consider sharing the following opportunity with your networks:
Title: Director of Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press
Starting Salary: 76,800
Brief Description: The Director of BRIT Press will manage the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) Press. This position is responsible for the preparation, manufacture, and distribution of botanical research and scientific discoveries. This will include overseeing operations, scientific editing, and publishing plant systematics, floristics, ecology, and conservation research. The Director interacts with publication authors, BRIT Press supporters, and departments across the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG), including Marketing and Communications, Research and Conservation, Learning and Engagement, and Advancement.
TORCH will be meeting with the Texas Plant Conservation Conference at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The TORCH business meeting will be July 18 at 11, while TPCC meeting itself is July 16-18. You may attend the TORCH business meeting without registering for the TPCC meeting by filling out this form (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1d-XRArw8VES7uhnBKV_efxmvMINDO0WLzmzwCfX4AyE/viewform?edit_requested=true__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!8CO5JuBd8rfQ6YLCYkxm6ORmWVbUkBIseOZ0jA-JUfnzhf_srjiLUvY4wCog91lnNCGCbltp_eH1mbwl3vxNJotJOMdlbA$ [docs[.]google[.]com]), but if you or your students want to present talks or posters, you will need to register for TPCC as well.
There's an open position for Curator of the Ada Hayden Herbarium (IH Code: ISC) at Iowa State University --the deadline has been extended to August 12th, this coming Monday. Please share with your students and networks. The original email is below, but here's the link to the position app: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://isu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/IowaStateJobs/job/Ames-IA/Curator-III_R15153__;!!GNU8KkXDZlD12Q!-1UMWYjsLK_U71QpnrfYph7lUsZu8Xb8ZpXUNIoCbXoRkc6396cBvIK5i3JST9MY86jVc262tL7llEK72hY$ [isu[.]wd1[.]myworkdayjobs[.]com]
I just set up a new listserv for TORCH and added the people from the previous TORCH listserv onto it. This was recommended at the previous TORCH meeting because some institutions were having trouble accessing Google Groups. The following is the information the listserv sends out for new subscribers. If you are having trouble with anything, would like to be unsubscribed, or know of any people who you want to make sure have been added to the list, please feel free to e-mail me directly ([log in to unmask]) and I can take care of that.
