Blomquist Foray 2025: Data Collection

We encourage you all to collect both specimens and observations! We understand that you all have your own data collection methods that you prefer. We do ask if you collect specimens to try and use our ESRI Quick Capture App in place of, or in addition to, iNaturalist. The Quick Capture App is designed to collect data but parsed in a way that is compatible with Heritage Trust databases. If you use iNaturalist, we will follow up with you to match up the specimens to the iNaturalist record. We ask that you please fill in the collector number on iNaturalist if you use it to record collections.

Collecting Specimens:

· Please collect enough specimens for duplicates. You can take specimens back with you and we will take the duplicate specimens back to the University of South Carolina Herbarium.

o We will provide the specimen bags for the duplicates with a barcode that you can enter. This helps us match it up properly with your data.

o We will collect duplicate specimens as we leave the field.

· If you use the app, we will export the data at the end of the field day and send you a shared spreadsheet that you can edit. We will probably complete this within an hour of getting to the hotel meeting room.

· We have designed a mail merge that works with the data fields detailed below. This is the mail merge that we will use to process specimens at USCH.

· The minimum specimen data we would like:

Field	Notes
Barcode	Used to match the specimen bag with your data.
Scientific Name	Can add a placeholder, genus, etc. If it is fully identified later, please email us. Needs to be entered into both iNat and Quick Capture.
Scientific Name Authorship	Can add a placeholder, genus, etc. If it is fully identified later, please email us.
Identification Date	If it is fully identified later, please email us.
Identified By	If it is fully identified later, please email us.
Collector	It needs to be entered into Quick Capture. If you use iNaturalist, please send us your iNaturalist username.
Collector Number	If using iNaturalist please make sure to fill this in.
Collection Date	Automatically filled in, in both apps.
Associated Collector	If left blank, we will write “Blomquist Foray 2025 Participants”.
Location Information	If using the apps this can be created by us from the data provided. If not using the apps please include coordinates and our team can take care of the rest.
Habitat	There are maps that you can reference that will show what ecosystem you are in. SCDNR botanists will be available to help make commentary if needed.
Substrate	Include substrate species if possible. If you find a rock substrate that you are interested in, we may be able to send a sample to our geology team to identify it.
Associated Taxa	If applicable; we prefer scientific names.
Description	Identifying features that are hard to see when dried out.
Reproductive Status	We will be trying to follow a list but if you commentary let us know.

We understand that many specimens will be identified later, so please email botany@dnr.sc.gov with updates. The duplicate specimens you provide us will be accessioned at the University of South Carolina Herbarium in Columbia, SC. Please let us know when you deposit your specimens so that they can be linked as duplicates, and we can update determinations as they are added/annotated.

Reproductive Status List:

Group	Reproductive Status	Meaning
Lichens	Not Evaluated	Did not look for reproductive structures.
Lichens	Expert Needed	Need an expert to find reproductive structures.
Lichens	Sterile	No reproductive structures found.
Lichens	Apothecia Present
Lichens	Soredia Present
Lichens	Isidia Present
Bryophytes	Not Evaluated
Bryophytes	Expert Needed
Bryophytes	Sterile
Bryophytes	Reproductive*

*I am looking for active feedback from bryologists.

The following table is regarding the minimum specimen data that we would like to obtain from these collections. "Source" indicates where information for a specific field will come from, and “Notes” indicates whether or not a field is required, preferred, etc...

Field	Source	Notes	Field	Source	Notes
Collection_Barcode	Quick Capture	Required	Identification Remarks	Provided by Collector
Scientific_Name	Quick Capture	Placeholder Required	Identification Sources	Provided by Collector
Scientific_Name_Authorship	Quick Capture	Required for Final Determination	Associated Collectors	Provided by Collector	If blank, we will put "Blomquist Foray 2025 Participants"
Collector_Observer	Quick Capture	Required	Decimal Lat	Quick Capture
Collector_Number	Quick Capture	Preferred	Decimal Long	Quick Capture
Collection_Date	Quick Capture	Required	Uncertainty	Quick Capture
Habitat	Quick Capture	Preferred	Datum	Quick Capture
Substrate	Quick Capture	Preferred	Elevation	Quick Capture
Associated_Taxa	Quick Capture	Preferred	Country	Look Up
Description	Quick Capture	Preferred	State	Look Up
Reproductive_Status	Quick Capture	Preferred	County	Look Up
Genus	Calculated		Locality	Look Up
Species	Calculated		Locality Remarks	Look Up
Infra Term	Calculated		Collection Remarks	Look Up	Will be added by SCDNR Staff based on location it will be the permit number or name of property manager.
Infra	Calculated		Project Name	Calculated	"Blomquist Foray 2025"
Family	Look Up		Month	Calculated
Identified By	Provided by Collector		Day	Calculated
Identification Date	Provided by Collector		Year	Calculated

When SCDNR Staff get back to the meeting room, we will export the data from Quick Capture and put it on a shared google sheet. You can view your data from the field and start working on filling out determinations or any other fields you left blank in the field.

The spreadsheet and mail merge document provided will create specimen labels that fit onto bryophyte and lichen and packets and will look like this made-up specimen:

You are more than welcome to use this at any herbarium but remember to swap out the USCH logo for the herbarium logo!

Using the Apps:

Quick Capture:

Quick Capture is a free app that has been designed specifically for this event. Please note that there may be minor changes between now and the foray.

You can search for it in the App Store or find it here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arcgis-quickcapture/id1451433781

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esri.arcgisquickcapture&hl=en_US&pli=1

Step 1: Click on the link from the story map OR scan the QR Code

https://arcg.is/G8qau0

Step 2: It will ask you to open the link in Quick Capture. You do not need an account! You can use the app as a guest.

Step 3: Select the cryptogram type and its substrate. It will then prompt you to take a photo.

You can take up to 4 photos.

At this point, you will be guided through to fill in scientific name, duplicate barcode number, collector number if you happen to know it, habitat, associated taxa, description and reproductive status.

If a field is required, then “NEXT” won’t show up until you have filled something out. Please fill in as much as you can.

If you are collecting a specimen, you must fill out the barcode.

Once you are done it will return you to the home screen. You can keep taking data or you can go ahead and submit the record.

At the bottom of the screen it will say “Captured” and in the top right the map icon will show how many records you have available to send.

To send the record, clip on the map icon and it will show the records on the map you are about to send. Click “Send” and it will send the records and display “All records sent” on the bottom of the map.

iNaturalist:

We have created project for iNaturalist for the Foray!

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blomquist-foray-2025

Please make sure to adjust your membership to trust project with hidden coordinates. If you do not know how to please read more under the “More Detailed Information About Technology Used Section”.

We would also be very grateful if you joined our Rare Plants of South Carolina Project.

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/rare-plants-of-south-carolina

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is a non-profit citizen science application for sharing images and geographic information about all forms of life. The application allows users to upload geolocated photos through a phone or web application which are then displayed on the platform for other users to see as “observations” -- observations of a specific organism at a specific place at a specific time. The application is great for both amateurs and professionals to learn about the organisms they encounter. This is achieved both through iNaturalist’s algorithmic identification tool and through interaction with other users. The iNaturalist identification algorithm uses machine learning on your photos, in concert with the date and time a photo was taken, to suggest the most likely species identification for a particular observation. For certain species or types of species, it works quite well. The iNaturalist platform also allows users to interact with other users, and oftentimes experts in specific organisms or groups of organisms will add or confirm species identifications to observations you have made.

Making an observation through the iNaturalist app:

https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170777-how-to-make-an-observation-with-the-inaturalist-mobile-app-video-tutorial

Making an observation through the iNaturalist website:

https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170784-how-to-make-an-observation-with-the-inaturalist-website-video-tutorial

How to join our project?

Join either on the mobile app or using the computer! We recommend you join on the computer or at least follow up with your membership on your computer so that you can share your hidden or obscured coordinates with us.

Don’t worry! We will not see any coordinates that you have actively selected to obscure on purpose to protect private property. SCDNR Botanists will never push you for location data, but if the plant is of high conservation interest, they may message you asking if you wish to share more information.

Computer:

1. Go to https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/rare-plants-of-south-carolina and log in OR go to iNaturalist.com and log in.

2. Search for “Rare Plants of South Carolina” in the upper left-hand corner. It should show up as soon as you finish typing:

3. On the project page in the upper right-hand corner there is a “Join” Button:

1. This will take you to a page detailing the project parameters which includes a list of all of the species that are being tracked in the project.

2. Scroll all the way down and this where you can agree to join the project. Here you can choose if you want to receive updates and or trust the project with hidden coordinates. You can select whatever level of trust you are comfortable with. It would be most be most helpful if you chose “Yes, for any of my observations” but we recommend that at the very least you select “Yes, but only for my observations of threatened taxa, not when I’ve set the geoprivacy”.