Planting the seeds for future discoveries

Planting the seeds for future discoveriesWith a collection of over 14,000 specimens and counting, the Don McNair Herbarium’s ability to support research, teaching and community education continues to grow.

The late Dr Donald McNair (1920 – 2014; Honorary Doctor of Science, 1996) combined his career as an auto-electrician with an extraordinary passion for plant taxonomy and ecology. The generous gift he left in his Will is ensuring his passions and dreams for the future live on.

Dr McNair was before his time in realising the importance of conserving native ecosystems. His extensive plant specimen collection was initially focused on the Hunter region and then extended to arid locations in several states. He believed that Novocastrians should be proud of their environment and was recorded as saying, “Facts are what save the environment.”

Thanks to his passion, forethought and dedication, the Don McNair Herbarium contains a record of the floral diversity of the Hunter spanning over 60 years. This collection preserves important species and will enable research into environmental and plant changes, particularly in response to climate change.

Dr McNair generously donated his collection as a gift-in-kind, working with volunteers and the University to establish the herbarium in his name. Volunteers continue to be a vital part of the Herbarium, donating their time and expertise to prepare and catalogue specimens and digitise the collection. Their passion and dedication over the years has been vital to making the Herbarium what it is today.

Volunteering at the Don McNair Herbarium has allowed me to expand my knowledge of Australian flora and gain experience and skills suitable for a career in ecology. I also love participating in a branch of old-world science that has many applications to the modern world in relation to climate change and conservation.”

Jacquie Bennett
Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours), 2022; Bachelor of Environmental Science, 2006

We are grateful to Dr McNair for his vision and to all the supporters of the Herbarium over the years, including our wonderful volunteers, kind donors, and those of you who have generously shared your plans to leave a gift to the Herbarium in your Will. Together you are helping to ensure the future of this amazing and irreplaceable resource.

Ongoing support for the Don McNair Herbarium contributes valuable resources to:

• Upgrade the database to make it accessible online for current and future generations
• Foster postgraduate research to explore the impact of climate change on flora of the Hunter Region
• Support research to develop conservation havens on the Callaghan campus for threatened plant species of the Hunter region
• Develop students’ research skills through the Don McNair Scholarship in Plant Identification and Illustration

Our Gifts in Wills brochure details how you can make a lasting impact beyond your lifetime.
To receive your free copy, or for a confidential discussion about leaving a gift in your Will, please contact Kelly on 02 4921 8612 or email bequests@newcastle.edu.au