update
Thank you to all who've responded, especially to Andy who's provided great information and support, in general, and specifically to my efforts.
I've begun compiling, with assistance from other CNPS members, the Sonoma State Herbarium collection's data, although moving it into the Consortium database is a ways off. This will take some time.
I've learned, as Andy has suggested to me elsewhere, and also noted by Robin at the Humboldt State U. Herbarium, that compiling my personal collections data into the same fields as those used in the Consortium will facilitate its posting therein. As for managing my data (and that of SSU) in Filemaker Pro, I have yet to tackle that challenge.
I strongly agree with Andy and others that the documentation of California's flora is essential. I recognize the vast shortfall of funding and personnel with which to do this. I also wonder if the various herbaria in the Consortium, meaning curators and staff and institutions, might work towards facilitating specimen collections and data entry, although I don't know much about what this might involve. But I can envision CNPS (or Jepson Herbarium, et al.) workshops on collecting ethics and techniques, data compilation and entry (including use of Filemaker or whatever software might be best suited to the task), and other pertinent topics, as well as access to the means to log data easily into the Consortium database. That would seem to be a more efficient approach than the maze I'm currently muddling through.
I also think this topic and many others posted in CNPS forums need to reach a broader audience!
|