The Flora of Virginia Project
{{http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/vaflora.shtml, The Flora of Virginia Project}} is a long-term undertaking to produce a manual and website that will provide a comprehensive source for botanists working with Virginia plants. It is a project of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, an agency within the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
As noted in the Flora of Virginia Project's website, the {{http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/vaflora.shtml#goals, goals of the project}} are to:
- Provide a guide to the identification, habitat, status, and distribution of Virginia's plants for professional and avocational users;
- Assimilate and build on the rich tradition of botanical exploration in Virginia;
- Incorporate current genetic-based information in addition to traditional taxonomic approaches; and
- Increase interest in the appreciation and conservation of Virginia's flora.
Botanists working with the College of William and Mary's herbarium have been supporting the Flora of Virginia project (and the Atlas of Virginia project) since its inception. WILLI Curator Emeritus Donna Ware serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors of The Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc.
Botanists working on the Flora of Virginia Project are using the collection at the College of William and Mary extensively, and are expected to take loans out consisting of the majority of our plant specimens collected within Virginia. WILLI staff are proud to support the Flora of Virginia project, and look forward to this significant addition to our understanding of Virginia's botanical heritage.
