To whom it may concern:

I write to express my concern and dismay at the recent news of the drastic changes being proposed at the Tasmanian Herbarium.

I am particularly concerned by the abolition of the Head of Herbarium position. I know, from personal experience, the importance of that position in establishing and implementing the overall mission and direction for an herbarium, as well as promoting and advocating for the herbarium at department, university and higher levels of administration. Unfortunately, I am also aware of what happens when that role is not filled. Until 20219, I was the assistant curator at the herbarium of Michigan State University (MSC) in the US with responsibility for managing the day-to-day running of the herbarium. For the last few years of my time at MSC the role of Director of the Herbarium was shared with the role of Director of the Botanic Garden, with the result that the person in that position spent, at best, one day in the herbarium. This meant his focus was elsewhere, and he was unable to keep on top of developments and issues that affected the herbarium. This situation continued for several years after I left, but the University has finally recognized the importance of the Herbarium Director position and, although under severe financial constraints, has allocated the necessary funding to hire a new Director independent from the Botanic Garden.

With a good, dynamic leader, an herbarium becomes a focus for biodiversity research, exploration, and discovery. Without one. it is just a repository for dried plants! The current Head of the Herbarium, Dr Gintaras Kantvilas, is a highly respected scientist with an international reputation who believes passionately in the importance of documenting the biodiversity of Tasmania. Like Dr Kantvilas, I am a lichenologist and recently published a paper with him describing two new genera and several species of lichenized fungi from Tasmania. More important than this, the paper highlighted the vast gaps that remain in the discovery and documentation of the lichen biota of Tasmania. Without Dr Kantvilas, or someone with equal enthusiasm or commitment to the Tasmanian biota, as the Head of the Tasmanian herbarium, I fear that these gaps will remain and the full extent of the stunning diversity of the natural environment of Tasmania will be forever undocumented.

Alan Fryday, PhD
Research Associate
Herbarium, Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
USA