Project Aims To Digitize 2.3 Million Plants At California Academy Of Sciences

CBS Bay Area

March 12, 2025

There is quite the photo shoot happening right now in Golden Gate Park, but instead of models, the muse of choice is a collection of leaves, branches, and dried flowers.

This year, the California Academy of Sciences hopes to digitize its entire global botany collection that stretches back to the 17th century and includes to 2.3 million specimens.

The task is a long process that began last year and includes a team of digital imaging technicians who use a high-tech camera attached to a conveyor belt, where they can quickly organize, bar code, and scan each plant in the Academy's collection.

Plant specimens at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco being digitized/CBS

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