SANDAKAN: The Sabah Forestry Department’s SAN Herbarium officially opened its Exhibition Gallery at the Forest Research Centre (FRC) in Sepilok here.
The gallery was officially opened by Sabah Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Zulkifli Suara.
The SAN Herbarium Exhibition Gallery was established to showcase Sabah’s botanical heritage and highlight the important role of herbarium collections in scientific research, biodiversity documentation and conservation.
It also serves as an educational platform to introduce visitors to the work of botanists and herbarium scientists, including plant identification, species documentation and the preservation of scientific specimens.
Established in 1916, the SAN Herbarium is one of Sabah’s most important botanical research facilities and houses the state’s largest herbarium collection.
Located at the FRC in Sepilok, the herbarium maintains more than 280,000 preserved plant specimens representing Sabah’s rich plant diversity, alongside collections from other parts of Borneo and beyond.
These scientific collections serve as valuable references for plant identification, taxonomic research, biodiversity inventories, conservation assessments and the documentation of plant distribution.
They also provide essential historical records that enable researchers to study changes in plant diversity and distribution over time.
The collections support research by botanists, foresters, conservation practitioners and other researchers working to enhance knowledge and improve the management of Sabah’s plant resources.
The exhibition gallery is open on weekdays for pre-arranged educational visits by secondary schools and academic institutions. However, it is not open to the general public for walk-in visits.
Visits can be arranged through the SAN Herbarium curator via its website at https://www.sanherbarium.com.
