Botanical collections-preserved specimens of vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, and algae-underpin our knowledge of species diversity and ranges across the circumpolar Arctic. These specimens are often collected in an effort to describe species' taxonomy and distributions, but they are also generated by ecological investigations, studies of biodiversity change, or by passionate amateur botanists. All are brought together in herbaria, where, in new groupings, they fuel future Arctic discoveries. Despite their high value in research that seeks to understand Arctic biodiversity, most botanical collections are held in the south, limiting access by researchers who are based in Northern communities. Digitization is expanding remote access to specimen data and images, but many challenges to equitable access to collections remain to be overcome. This session will explore research projects that make use of Arctic material held in botanical collections, and the efforts being made to expand their accessibility

Paul Sokoloff, Lynn Gillepsie, Troy McMullin