Interview with Dr Brenda Harold, who created Identiplant

Brenda (on left) & Dr Chantal Helm, 
BSBI Training Coordinator, at the 2024
British & Irish Botanical Conference 

Today’s interview is with Dr Brenda Harold, who created Identiplant, the very popular online plant identification course. Brenda has been a BSBI member for 57 years, served on BSBI Council from 2007 to 2011 and on our Training Committee from 2008 to 2017. Brenda’s achievements were acknowledged with a special presentation at the 2024 British & Irish Botanical Conference and I caught up with her recently on a Zoom call to find out more about how she first got interested in botany and how she went on to create Identiplant.

LM: Hi Brenda, can you please share how your passion for botany began?

BH: I was born with a fascination for plants although I grew up in London with no access at all to the countryside and not knowing anyone interested in wildlife. I wanted to be a scientist but didn’t consider biology until I had to choose my A-level subjects, when I asked for chemistry, physics, pure maths and botany. The school was unable to timetable that, but said that I could swap botany for zoology. That was the moment when I realised that botany was my greatest interest and I changed to botany, zoology, chemistry and physics.

Brenda aged 15 months and
already showing an interest
in plants!

After school I got a place at UCL (1961-64), and did the most brilliant, brilliant botany degree course. I learnt absolutely everything about plants, including microbiology and plenty of genetics. And from there I just wanted to take botany as far as I could so I stayed on as a PhD student with the project title: “Cytogenetic Studies in the Genus Potentilla”.

LM: And of course, you went on to join the BSBI and in 1969 you were invited to become our expert Referee for Potentilla (a photo of Brenda's Referee invitation letter, signed pp the legendary Frank Perring, can be seen below right). 

BH: I became a referee so early because of the publication of my PhD. I had been immersed in Potentilla spp. (cinquefoils) for three years and by then I could spot one from a mile off. Having made my own Potentilla hybrids, I knew which species would and wouldn’t cross and how their chromosomes paired, aiding greatly in my identification abilities. It was also during this time that my PhD supervisor, Jack Ellis, suggested that I joined BSBI, which is why I’ve been a member for so long! 

A highlight of my research actually happened two years after my PhD, when I managed to recreate Potentilla anglica, confirming that the species is an allopolyploid. I took over the referee position in 1970, and on average I received half a dozen identification requests each year. Once or twice, I received a large bundle of pressings from someone sorting through an herbarium collection, and I had to cover the whole floor to sort through them!  As part of my role, in 2021 I also produced two Potentilla training webinars (supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service): part one  and part two are still available to watch on YouTube.

LM: How did you get into teaching after university?

BH: Growing up I was certain that I didn’t want to become a teacher so I didn’t take a teaching certificate. However, when I finished my studentship in 1967, a vacancy arose at Westfield College for someone to teach genetics and botany and I was invited to apply. This was an offer that I couldn’t refuse. My first lecture at Westfield was teaching genetics to 70 first year biology students, and I was absolutely terrified. But by the end of that lecture, I knew that I wanted to teach. I discovered that I had an ability to explain things well, and that all that mattered was the subject and the students, not how I spoke or what I looked like. I realised what a privilege it is to be able to pass on such interesting material to others. By the end of term, my real ambition was to become a senior tutor, and to move away from research.

LM: What did you do after you left Westfield College?

BH: I left Westfield after five years in 1972 and didn’t return to full-time work until my second daughter started school. During this period I did however do loads of part-time work, including working as a genetics tutor for the Open University and then at Brunel University. During one of Brunel University’s cutbacks, I was told that the university couldn’t afford to have any more part-timers, but there was a full-time botany position available. Just like the position at Westfield, it was the most incredible good luck, as I was able to return to full-time work just as my daughter started school. Ensuring excellent teaching quality was my main focus and, for example, I introduced student feedback questionnaires after modules. I undertook a number of positions within the Biology Department at Brunel, including Director of Studies, Senior Tutor, and finally Deputy Head of the Department. I also became Chair of the University Senior Tutors Committee.

LM: When did you start to become serious about field botany?

BH: Despite committing my career to botany and plant genetics, I still lacked decent field skills. It was only in 1990, when my two girls were becoming independent that I had time to develop my interest. I began by creating a large photo library, which was the only way I could remember all of the names. I first decided that I would not take any photos of orchids as beautiful photos of them are two-a-penny! Instead, I focused on common British “weeds” such as Chickweed Stellaria media and Daisy Bellis perennis.

LM: Two lovely species – if they were as rare as orchids, I think we’d all be knocking ourselves out about them! But which ID books were you using at the time?

BH: I was using Fitter, Fitter and Blamey’s Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe, which I always recommended to absolute beginners. I also used the identification keys in New Flora of the British Isles by Clive Stace. Due to my background, almost from the beginning if I found an unknown plant I could eventually work out what it was, and be confident whether I was right.

LM: I gather that even after taking early retirement from the University in 1997, you continued to practice teaching?

BH: Yes, after my retirement, I remained busy. I began by attending field courses at different Field Studies Council (FSC) centres and “graduated” to tutoring them myself. My first FSC course was a Beginner’s Guide to Wildflowers, which Sue Dancey asked me to do. Sue was the Head of the Preston Montford Field Centre and I’ve always had the utmost respect for her. FSC Preston Montford was always such a happy, well-run place, which speaks highly of Sue’s work.

LM: I’m just jumping in here Brenda to say that I couldn’t agree more! Sue’s work at the FSC and alongside Sarah Whild on BSBI Skills & Training Committee was hugely important in advancing and showcasing botanical training across Britain and Ireland, not just in Shropshire! And then what happened at WEA?

BH: In 1998 I also began tutoring for the Workers Educational Association (WEA). These were daytime courses so most of the students were retired people and I was tutoring around 3 different courses per week: 10 or 20 weeks in length or occasionally shorter. By the time I finished in 2010 I had taught more than 60 different courses. My 20-week course, entitled ‘Genes Are Us’, was nominated by my students for a National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) award, which I was very proud to receive. That course was terrific fun to teach, and I found great fulfilment in introducing genetics to absolute beginners. As part of the course, I took students to the Wellcome Sanger Institute near Cambridge, and after a number of years the staff there noted that my grey-haired group were more enthusiastic and knowledgeable than the school parties! 

LM: Was it also during this time that you volunteered with the Wildlife Trust?

BH: Yes, after my retirement I also became a volunteer with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (image above left). For some years I was warden of a very small nature reserve. My role included counting the Shetland sheep (image below right) when they visited the reserve, which was particularly difficult as the sheep tended to lie down under trees and blended into the landscape due to their camouflage colours! I also joined the Trust’s team of volunteer wildlife site surveyors which comprised about 5 experts plus about 10 beginners at various levels. We went out in small groups to existing or potential wildlife sites throughout the county and carried out professional-level surveys including full species lists with indicator species noted, plus site maps and descriptions. These surveys were really important to me as they taught me survey technique, as well as being very enjoyable. 

LM: How did your experience as a volunteer site surveyor with the Wildlife Trust make you realise that there was a need for a new kind of plant ID course?

BH: During the survey sessions I saw that the beginners simply made lists of species’ common names, which were entered on to the county record card by one of the experts at the end of the session. But more than one of the beginners told me that they wanted to improve but didn’t know how to, so I decided to write a course for them. This would have to be a long course since it is not possible to acquire all the essential knowledge and observational experience in a short day or weekend course. However, they were all on email by 2010 so I decided to email the course units to them. In 2011 then, I wrote Identiplant, a course in 15 units starting in February and ending in September, which I emailed to students on alternate Fridays. I had prepared the first few units in advance but soon I was writing a new unit each fortnight.  This was possible because I used all the material from my WEA courses, which had been enjoyed by numerous students, including all of my own photographs, drawings and notes.      

Identiplant began as a small, local course, but in 2012 two friends enabled it to become a national online course: Sue Green, a retired maths teacher, built the website and learning platform, while Sue Dancey persuaded the FSC to take on the financial administration. The BSBI gave us permission to display their logo as well as advertising the course on their website and in 2013 Identiplant was launched as an online course throughout Britain and Ireland. It quickly spread and developed a life of its own, with students from Northern Scotland to Jersey and the Republic of Ireland. Each student has their own online tutor, who is an expert familiar with their own area, and the BSBI also advertised for these. I saw Identiplant as a bridge to take beginners across the difficult divide between learning plant names one by one to proper systematic identification.

British & Irish Botanical Conference 2022:
Ellen Goddard (on right) from
BSBI Skills & Training Committee
enthuses visitors about Identiplant  

LM: So, then you decided to hand the course over to BSBI in 2022 and we appointed Chantal Helm as our Training Coordinator to handle administration. Was it hard to hand over your “baby” or was it a relief?! And of course, you stayed on the Identiplant Management Team to smooth the transition.

BH: I was very happy to pass the reins over to BSBI. Sarah Woods, who helped with the business plan, and Steve Gater, who was a BSBI trustee at the time, were both greatly helpful in lessening the stress of the transfer process. Since its launch in 2013, 2,300 students have enrolled in Identiplant, highlighting its impact in educating aspiring botanists. Many of those after the course, became the plant experts in their area, commonly organising wildflower walks or other botanical activities. But the best reward is seeing how much the students who complete the course enjoy it.

LM: Yes, the feedback we receive from Identiplant alumnae – and the huge number of applicants each year – are evidence of how successful and enjoyable Identiplant is! So, what are your plans now that you’ve stepped back?

Brenda receiving the
Marsh Botany Award 2024

BH: I’ve always got a project! I spend a lot of time in my garden, which can be complicated to manage. I also have ambitions to complete another course which I started writing in 2018. It was never quite finished and has been sitting on my computer ever since. And I’m still an Identiplant tutor.

LM: That sounds exciting – I hope you’ll come back and tell us more once you’ve completed that other course! For now, can I say a big thank you to you for talking to us Brenda, it’s been fascinating to hear the story behind Identiplant which has proved instrumental in training up so many botanists and kickstarting so many careers. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude! BSBI isn’t the only organisation keen to trumpet Brenda’s achievements: we were delighted to hear that Brenda was awarded the Marsh Botany Award 2024 for her “dedication in teaching and training many cohorts of botanists, ecologists and land managers”. She joins a small but select team of botanists, including Sarah Whild and Clive Stace, who receive this prestigious annual award due to their lifetime achievements and outstanding contributions in the field of botanical research and conservation. Congratulations to Brenda on this very well-deserved award.

Finally, can I say a big thank you here to BSBI Communications volunteer Isabelle McAllister who transcribed the interview with Brenda which was carried out via Zoom? Watch out for future interviews between Isabelle and BSBI staff members.