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Asia is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, but much of its flora is still underexplored. There is a great need for students that are interested and like to learn botanical skills which they can then apply to vegetation surveys and conservation research. This course is meant to motivate and stimulate you to become part of this Asian wide botanical exploration and conservation drive.

 

This course will teach you the basic skills of botany. It consists of a mix of lectures and hands-on activities. We will start with an historical overview of modern taxonomy that includes information on plant classification, how to collect plants and how to describe new species. The course will have practical modules on 1) plant collecting, pressing, drying and voucher preparation, 2) making identification keys, 3) botanical drawing, 4) macro-photography, and 5) identification of collected plant material. Outdoor teaching and plant collecting will use the gardens and protected forests of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).

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Venue: Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, 666303, China

Dates: June 23rd – June 26th, 2026

Registration: Registration is open until 15:00, May 13th, 2026 (UTC+8:00). Once registration closes, you will be notified of your acceptance status around May 10th.

Target enrollment: ~20 participants

Pre-requisites for applications: An interest in plants and how to identify them.

 

Fee:

(1) No registration fee for the course

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(2) Costs to be covered by participants include:

• Visa application fees

• Transportation to and from the venue

• Personal medication and accident insurance

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(3) Taking this course, which has been partially funded by ATBC, means that you are also promising to take part in the ATBC 2026 conference, for which the registration will be covered but other costs will not. Please see the course application.

 

Instructors:

Prof. Ferry Slik (Curator of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam Herbarium (UBDH))

Prof. Tan Yunhong (Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science)

 

Course outline:

Day 1

Morning: Basic theory on Taxonomy, overview of plant phylogeny, and how to collect and prepare a plant for herbarium storage.

Afternoon: Macrophotography course

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Day 2

Morning: Plant collecting

Afternoon: Plant identification, pressing and drying

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Day 3

Morning: Botanical drawing course

Afternoon: Making identification keys

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Day 4

Morning: Visit XTBG seed storage facility and herbarium

Afternoon: Making herbarium vouchers & Plant quiz

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