DR. WEBER WAS ORDERED TO MOVE OUT OF THE HERBARIUM HE BUILT

I learned very disturbing news that Dr. Bill Weber was ordered to move out from the Herbarium of the University of Colorado Museum in Boulder, Colorado. Today, January 9, 1997, was the deadline given to him by the Herbarium Curator Dr. Tom Ranker. BEN readers know Dr. Weber from his "diatribe" (his own words!) on vernacular names in botany [BEN # 109], historical notes, and they read his ideas on voucher collections and databases in herbaria. He was and is a botanical giant, equally good in vascular plants as in bryophytes or lichens. I wonder how many of us have turned to him with questions, problems and discussions; we always got a clear, nice, and very professional answer. His Flora of Colorado [BEN # 134] is a landmark in botany of western North America. If you meet Dr. Weber you are overwhelmed by his encyclopedic knowledge.

It would be a great honour for any botanical institution to have Dr. Bill Weber working there as a volunteer. The University of Colorado Herbarium in Boulder (COLO) is a very special place to him: he built it and has worked there for more than fifty years. Recently, Dr. Weber is working on several manuscripts on the history of Colorado botany, as well as on treatments of two genera of bryophytes, and three genera of vascular plants for the Flora of North America. The expulsion is quite a setback to him. After he leaves the herbarium, he will be able to enter the herbarium only during the working hours (no work on weekends or holidays as he used to do), and won't be able to use the copy machine or the phone.

This decision came in the worst possible time: Dr. Weber's wife of 56 years died on November 17, 1996.

Is there any way to wake up the institution and tell them that they are doing a grave mistake? I don't know, but try to write to the Director of the University of Colorado Museum. The address is:

Dr. Linda S. Cordell, Director, University of Colorado Museum
Campus Box 218, Boulder, CO 80309
e-mail: Linda.Cordell@Colorado.EDU phone: (303) 492-0666.

I know that BEN readers appreciated Dr. Weber's contributions and I wish for many more to come. - Adolf Ceska

BIODIVERSITY MEASUREMENT - 1ST ANNUAL MEETING - VANCOUVER, B.C.

A Strategy for Measuring Biodiversity in British Columbia's Forests

We have: habitat fragmentation and loss; species extirpation and extinction; genetic erosion and loss of flexibility to cope with future change; and ethical, aesthetic, moral and economic reasons for concern.

We need measures of biodiversity to quantify the extent of change. The objective is to hold a workshop bringing together practitioners and theoreticians working on biodiversity measurement. A strategy document will be produced from the proceedings of the workshop which can guide biodiversity assessment initiatives.

Who:

Dr. Gene Namkoong, Chair of Department of Forest Science at UBC is Project Leader. Other Principal Investigators at UBC are Drs. Geoff Scudder, Jamie Smith and Fred Bunnell.

Why:

There is a need for development of a common understanding on optimal measures of biodiversity, identification of the institutions engaged in biodiversity assessment, and identification of institution strengthening (training, facility development and recurrent budgets) necessary to enable appropriate measurement of biodiversity of British Columbia forests.

When: A two day workshop will be held Wednesday and Thursday 19 & 20 February 1997

Where: The meeting will be held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver B.C.

Who should attend: Those in the province who are measuring biodiversity and those who are contemplating doing so.

Contact: Drs. Jean Brouard and Sally John, Isabella Point Forestry Consultants,

670 Isabella Point Road, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 1V2 Phone: (250) 653-2335, Fax: (250) 653- 2338, e-mail: johnbro@raven.bc.ca

SISKIYOU ECOLOGY CONFERENCE

The First Conference on Siskiyou Ecology will be held on May 30 - June 1, 1997 in Cave Junction, Oregon. The conference will include presentations on a broad spectrum of topics, including past and current research on regional flora and fauna, the botanical significance of the area, unique geological features, and historical changes influencing the integrity of the region. Keynote speakers will include Dr. Art Kruckeberg of the University of Washington, and Dr. Frank Lang of Southern Oregon State College. We encourage anyone interested in presenting talks or posters at the conference to send an abstract of 300 words or less by March 1, 1997. Send abstracts and/or requests for registration information to: attn: Jennifer Beigel and Erik Jules, Conference on Siskiyou Ecology, c/o SREP, P.O. Box 220, Cave Junction, OR 97523, or e-mail: ejules@umich.edu. The conference is sponsored by the Siskiyou Regional Education Project, Southern Oregon State College Biology Department, and the Oregon Caves National Monument.

Submissions, subscriptions, etc.: aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca. BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. The URL is: gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben. Also archived at http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/