Hidden Figures of the HERbarium: The Incredible Characters & Collectors Who've Helped Shape Our Knowledge of the Plant World
An Interview with Herbarium Curatrix, Carol Ann McCormick
Hidden Figures of the HERbarium
Meet Carol Ann McCormick, Curatrix of the UNC Herbarium
I’m really excited to introduce you to Carol Ann McCormick, because this is an interview that I’ve been wanting to do for some time now. Carol Ann and I were planning to do the interview at the pilgrimage itself, but she got recruited to fill in for a sick leader, so we had to postpone and catch up over zoom—which is just as well, because now you get to see what the inside of the herbarium looks like:
I met Carol Ann last year at the Wildflower Pilgrimage as a tag-along co-lead. When I learned that Carol Ann was the curator of the UNC Herbarium, I got all fangirl on her.
As many of you know, I’m kind of obsessed with herbariums. I absolutely LOVE everything about them—the mission and purpose behind them, the many important services they provide and, of course, the swoon-worthy aesthetics of the specimens themselves.
I’m also in love with the history and hidden stories of the collectors themselves—and what I love the most is that many of the collectors were women. Back in the day, Botany was considered the only ‘suitable’ science for women to pursue, and pursue it they did!
As a result, herbariums are full of specimens collected by women. Unfortunately, many of these women’s histories have been lost.
…but there are some that are just sitting there, waiting to be discovered.
And thanks to the painstaking research of people like Carol Ann, these hidden stories are now starting to see the light of day. Through her research, Carol Ann has uncovered an incredible cast of characters as well as a whole host of secret stories.
What to Expect…
In the first part of the interview, you’ll get to know Carol Ann, the secret stories behind her very unique titles: Curatrix, MCS & TWD (which had me in stitches!), as well as and how she got connected to the Wildflower Pilgrimage in the first place.
You’ll also hear her story about how her fast-hiking husband and a wildflower field guide ultimately led her to herbarium work!
Then, in the second part of the interview you’ll get to know some of the hidden figures of the herbarium.
—Like Effie Boon, an avid collector with whose intrepid sprit shines through despite her somewhat mysterious and difficult past. (In our conversation you’ll also learn about the generous legacy Effie left behind to help inspire young people to pursue their dreams. What a woman! Effie was somethin alright!)
—And the meticulous Alma Beers, the first female hire in the sciences at the University. Alma was a precise recordkeeper with “excellent hand-writing” (Carol Ann is so grateful!) but also a talented artist! Her work was even featured on china for Shenago Pottery (see below).
I know you’ll love getting to know Carol Ann (who I also consider part and parcel of this delightful cast of characters btw!) and all the amazing women she has documented.
Listen in below to learn more!