The montgomery botanical center will improve the stewardship and accessibility of its living plant collections by preserving and organizing over 7,500 dried leaf samples

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Montgomery Botanical Center, Inc. $471,518 on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to preserve and organize over 7,500 dried leaf samples held in its collections.

The recipient will catalog, inventory, and register the leaf samples and house them in a permanent repository equipped with museum-quality cabinets and environmental monitoring. Montgomery Botanical Center will hire a collections assistant to support implementation. The project consolidates leaf tissue samples into a centralized repository integrated into the Global Genome Biodiversity Network, making specimens discoverable to staff scientists, visiting scientists, students, botanical gardens, and conservation programs conducting plant research and biodiversity conservation.

Work is performed in Kendall, Florida. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028.

Museum staff will catalog, inventory, and register the samples and organize them in a permanent repository equipped with museum-quality cabinets and environmental monitoring. The museum will hire a collections assistant to assist with the implementation of project activities. The project will consolidate leaf tissue samples into a centralized repository, which will be integrated into the global genome biodiversity network, making specimens discoverable to staff scientists, visiting scientists, students, botanical gardens, and conservation programs working to advance plant research and biodiversity conservation outcomes.