About our contributors; about Bruce

 

PlantID.net is a community project that assembles database data, pictures and illustrations, local plant lists, and plant descriptions.  These elements are organized to make it easy for you to ID and learn about California plants you find in the field.

 

Database contributors include Calflora.org, WildflowerSearch.org, NRDB.org, Bonap.org and the Jepson Herbarium.

 

Over 100,000 pictures and illustrations come from well-respected photographers such as Keir Morse, Neil Kramer and Steve Matson, and illustrators such as John Muir Laws.  You can rely on their ID accuracy because the authors are experts.

 

Local Plant Lists are chosen based on their ability to cover all the plants a curious person is likely to find at a particular location.  Some lists are developed from repeated surveys.  Others are based on the experience of local experts. 

 

I try to avoid creating Local Lists from observation apps.  At this point the number of observations (even though in the millions) is generally not sufficient to create complete and accurate lists for specific locations.

 

Plant descriptions come from lots of research, field observation, suggestions from our users, and review by local experts.  These descriptions are both inherently less accurate than other parts of the system and more important, because they transform the rest of the material into memorable facts and stories.

 

As you’ll see elsewhere, it is easy for you to add your knowledge to PlantID.net.  When you do, the whole PlantID.net community benefits.

 

About Bruce – I’m a retired database developer.  I love to learn about plants in the wild because it helps me notice more when I’m out.   Since 2012 I’ve spent about half time programming and adding content to PlantID.net – a labor of love.  I now get to work with a large community of plant enthusiasts as we make PlantID.net an extraordinary place to learn about California plants.

 

 

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