Kids’ Corner: How to make an herbarium

Do you like to collect beautiful flowers and unique-looking leaves? If so, a herbarium is a perfect way to preserve these finds and learn more about them. Here’s how to create a scrapbook for your plant specimens.

• Collect a variety of flowers and leaves on your walk. Avoid doing this on a rainy day, otherwise, the wet plants might rot while they dry.

• Place your finds between two pieces of newspaper, paper towel, or blotting paper to absorb any moisture and help them dry out.

• Stack a few large, heavy books on top of the plants. Leave them like this to flatten for at least a week.

• Arrange the dried flowers and leaves on the pages of a notebook or in a binder. Use clear glue or transparent tape to stick them in place.

• Write the name of each plant next to it. You can also include interesting details like its smell and where you found it.

Feel free to add more plants over time. If you want ideas about how to design your herbarium, there are plenty of tutorials online.