Melissa Wong works to digitise the invaluable collection of Herbarium specimens.
She ensures high-quality images of specimens are accessible to researchers and plant enthusiasts worldwide.
With expertise in physical and digital curation, Melissa and her team meticulously mount and catalogue the incoming specimens and capture high-resolution photos, working diligently behind the scenes to make any necessary corrections before uploading the images for public use.
Melissa's day-to-day activities are varied and include: working directly with the specimens to ensure their readiness for imaging; conducting photography sessions and quality control checks on images; and processing specimens received from other institutions.
Melissa and her colleagues were awarded the Group Deputy Secretary (Place, Design and Public Spaces) Team Award in 2021 for successfully digitising over a million plant specimens, even during challenging COVID lockdown periods. Their ground-breaking project marked the first mass-imaging of herbarium specimens in the southern hemisphere.
One of Melissa's favourite memories from work is curating an exhibition that showcased the beautiful and sometimes quirky historic collections and paraphernalia that are typically hidden away from the public eye. This opportunity allowed her to bring attention to the diverse treasures held within the Herbarium.
Passionate about the intricate interactions within the natural world, Melissa is fascinated by the strategies and mechanisms employed by living plants and animals to outsmart, deceive, or manipulate others they encounter. When it comes to favourite plants, Melissa has a soft spot for carnivorous species and particularly admires the species Nepenthes, a group of carnivorous tropical pitcher plants. As a child, she was captivated by the intriguing anti-predatory response of the Mimosa pudica, where the leaves briefly fold in on themselves when touched in a fascinating display of defensive strategy.
Melissa takes great pride in being part of such an important scientific institution and contributing to the collective scientific knowledge through her digitisation efforts. She appreciates the variety of tasks in her role and enjoys the collaborative environment within her team.
Melissa takes great pride in being part of such an important scientific institution and contributing to the collective scientific knowledge through her digitisation efforts.