1. Botanical apprenticeships
2. Projects such as the Flora Ontario, or the detection of invasive species
3. Research in ethnobotany or biodiversity
4. Community projects.

FOIBIS – Flora Ontario Integrated Botanical Information System

Please see the FOIBIS web link for details on this vast project listing information for over 4780 species in Ontario. This includes our research in taxonomy and the front line development of a DNA identification system for plants.

• General FOIBIS Support.
• Support the development & publication of the Flora Ontario.
• Support the molecular (DNA) identification system.
• Support the development of Polyclavis (a web based plant identification system to be linked with FOIBIS).
• Support a taxonomy project (e.g., specific moss or lichen).
• Sponsor a taxonomy intern, graduate student (MSc/PhD) or Post Doctorial Fellow (PDF).

ARK - Aboriginal Repository of Knowledge

Please see the ARK web link for specific collections and ethnobotanical projects.

• Sponsor a local, national or international collection.
• Sponsor a local, national or international ethnobotany project.
• Sponsor the Aboriginal plant classification project.
• Sponsor an NTFP project.
• Sponsor a Herbal plant project.
• Sponsor an ethnobotany intern, graduate student (MSc/PhD) or Post Doctorial Fellow (PDF).

QBD - Quantitative Biodiversity Database (QBD)

The QBD is a database of long-term ecological data on plants and their environment. This database is the basis for impact research, ecosystem conservation, management and biodiversity research on patterns of diversity. Students contribute to and use this database to develop their hypotheses and biodiversity models.

• Sponsor the development of QBD.
• Sponsor an Botanical Intern working on QBD.

OIPIS – Ontario Invasive Species Information Service

Please see the OIPIS web link for the mandate of OIPIS as a preemptive tool for the assessment, detection and prevention of invasive alien plants (IAP) in Ontario.

• Support for the OIPIS mandate.
• Sponsor an IAP survey.
• Sponsor a IAP research project.
• Sponsor an IAP intern, graduate student (MSc/PhD) or Post Doctorial Fellow (PDF).

BIO Bridge

This program serves as a bridge between the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario and those elements of society-at-large (i.e., our communities) that have a need for biodiversity information.

• Sponsor BIO Bridge.
• Sponsor a traditional aboriginal knowledge program for 1st nations youth and ethnobotany apprentices at the BIO OAC Herbarium.
• Sponsor an Invasive plant web site for kids.
• Sponsor the development of a poisonous plant (Animals) web site.
• Sponsor the development of a poisonous plant (Humans) web site.
• Sponsor a field guide to “Plants of Ontario’s Ecosystems” or “Mosses of eastern North America ”.

BIO Gardens

The BIO OAC Herbarium would like to establish several theme gardens for cultural display, education and the preservation of genetic material. The gardens will be located at the site of the newly built BIO on the University of Guelph campus in 2005/2006. Sponsorships for specific gardens will be acknowledged on an educational plaque at each garden and on the BIO OAC Herbarium web site. The Theme gardens are listed below and details are found at the BIO Garden web link.

• Sponsor the Flora Ontario Garden.
• Sponsor “Kogaediwin” (Traditional Aboriginal Plants Garden).
• Sponsor the Cryptogamic Garden (e.g., Mosses & lichens).
• Sponsor the Medicinal Plants Garden.
• Sponsor the Invasive species Garden.
• Sponsor the Bar Code of Life Garden (modern taxonomy, DNA Garden).

Botanical Apprenticeship Program

Many students have dreams to study, learn and conduct biodiversity research, but funding is severely limited. These students are passionate about their research projects and make significant contributions to science. We receive hundreds of applications every year and can only support a handful of students. Here lies the opportunity for You to support an intern or graduate student in any of our research programs.

Our students begin their botanical apprenticeships as volunteers at the BIO OAC Herbarium. Some of the volunteers are offered internships in their area of interest and often move on to graduate degrees. Our Herbarium embraces the apprenticeship pedagogy; a hierarchy of knowledge flowing among professors, research associates, visiting scientists, PDFs, MSc/PhD candidates, undergraduate students, interns and volunteers.

• Sponsor a botany intern (1 month or several years).
• Sponsor a Masters student (2-3 years).
• Sponsor a PhD student (4-6 years).
• Sponsor a Post Doctorial Fellow (1-5 years).
• Sponsor a visiting scientist (1-5 years).
• Sponsor a student to travel to a scientific conference or research site.
• Sponsor a student’s field research expenses.