Herbarium Arts at White Feather Farm
White Feather Farm presents a unique opportunity for plant preservation; 60 plus acres of woods and wetlands, a pond, two merging tributaries and newly established, organic farm fields. Land with plenty of biodiversity full of native, naturalized, and invasive species. Thanks to our founder, Sarah Johnson, we are offered this beautiful terrain to learn and explore and have a direct lens on the beauty and complexity of nature.
Creation for Future Generations.
Because of our changing climate, the ecological, geographical and evolutionary shifts that will continue to occur over time will result in either land resilience or depletion, our human footprint is encroaching on natural and untouched spaces. With all of this happening, some plant species may not make it, it is important that we have a record of as many species as we can!
The plants collected have been identified in the field, noting their habitat and general morphology. They are pressed, frozen, preserved on acid free herbarium sheets using PH neutral adhesive, stitched with cotton thread when needed, numbered, labeled, photographed and safely stored.
2021 Collection
The plants in a region give us such valuable information and tell us a story.
A preserved plant is a record that links it to a specific time and place offering precious information.
Genetic information can be obtained from the DNA of pollen and seeds
A preserved plant holds both scientific and historical information and becomes a gift for future generations.
Meet Kris Garnier
Kris is the Head Gardener and Land Steward at White Feather Farm as well as a local herbarium artist & educator living just outside Woodstock , NY. She has been a a plant fanatic for the 25 plus years since she moved to the Hudson Valley. Her goal is to collect a record of as many plants as possible in our local landscape. She has collected over 180 plants just from her 5 acre property in Woodstock alone! Kris was awarded a grant through the Susanna Meyer Creative Arts Award in 2020 that culminated in a 2021 plant collection exhibit at The Lamb Center in Saugerties, NY. She is excited to offer hands on herbarium workshops at with White Feather Farm this summer, workshop dates coming soon!