Forest Park Nature Center, which holds a collection of thousands of preserved plant specimens, many collected in the late 1800s through the mid 1900s by Virginius Chase, a botanist from Peoria Heights, IL. Herbariums can be critical to understanding an area’s ecology, past and present, in a time of rapid change and habitat destruction.

This exhibit, curated by Forest Park Nature Center, will be on display at the library March 8 – May 1. You can enjoy these videos as a virtual docent tour here on our website, or via QR codes as you browse the exhibit in person.