Freezing botanical specimens

As part of our museum's integrated pest management strategy, I am
encouraging curatorial staff to allow their incoming collections
(new collection material as well as incoming loans and specimens
returning from outside loan) to be put through the freezing process
before entering collections storage areas, except in cases where we
believe freezing may jeopardize the artifact or specimen in
question. To date, our botany/herbaria specimens have not usually
been frozen and that department has asked for reassurance that the
process is safe.

Our normal procedure for incoming material is to seal the artifact
or specimen in an airtight bag, freeze for one week, defrost in the
unopened bag for several days and then refreeze for a second week. I
am wondering if anyone on the list may have had a negative
experience with freezing botanical specimens, or if there are any
other special precautions we should be considering with these
materials.

Dee A. Stubbs
Conservator,
The New Brunswick Museum,
277 Douglas Avenue,
Saint John, New Brunswick
Canada E2K 1E5
506-643-2341
Fax: 506-643-2360


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:33
                 Distributed: Sunday, January 23, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-33-023
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