Video:How to Store Leaves in a Book After Identification

Transcript:How to Store Leaves in a Book After Identification

Hi, I'm Jacob Taxis for About.com. In this video, you will learn how to store leaves in a book after identification.

Types of Leaves to Collect

Storing leaves can be a great way to improve your own knowledge of the environment around you. It can also assist you in gaining an appreciation of the diversity found in the natural world. When you're out collecting leaves, pick those that are still quite flexible and pliant. Dry leaves will easily crumble. If you're concerned about the leaf tearing, you can keep the leaves in tact while you're out collecting by storing them in a book or magazine. Though autumn leaves, in all of their stunning colors, work best for pressing, you can still press green leaves. Do be aware, however, that the leaves may brown a little after being pressed.

Materials for Preserving Leaf Collection

There are a few different methods for preserving leaves; in this video we'll be pressing our collected specimens using wax paper. To do this, you'll need:

• Leaves you've collected and identified
• Wax paper
• Thin dishtowel
• Iron set to medium, dry heat
• Scissors
• Scrapbook
• Identification labels to be used in the scrapbook
• Glue

Iron Wax Paper to Preserve Leaf

Step #1: On a hard surface such as a table, floor, or sturdy ironing board, place a sheet of wax paper. Then, place a leaf in the middle of the sheet and enclose it by placing another sheet of wax paper on top. Be extremely careful when handling your leaves to prevent tears and breakage. Also, stay orderly by keeping the individual leaf identification tags nearby or attached to their correlated leaves. Step #2: Lay a thin dishtowel over the top of the wax paper. Slowly and gently move the heated iron over the towel. When the wax starts to seal the leaf, then begin to use the full weight of the iron - pressing it down for approximately 5 seconds per section.

Arrange Leaf Collection in Scrapbook

Step #3: Remove the towel and allow the leaf to cool. Trim around the leaf, making sure there is enough space left between your cut and the leaf so that the wax paper seal will hold. Step #4: Arrange and glue the pressed leaves and their corresponding identification label into the scrapbook. Look for a scrapbook with firm, removable pages. Keeping your leaves as flat as possible in the book is key to preventing needless breaks and tears. You can also slip the pages under clear plastic sleeves, keeping your pages smooth and your leaves protected. Collecting and keeping leaves in your own catalogued book is a wonderful way to stay in touch with the natural world.

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