Exploring the Mycoverse

Mycoverse organizer Aaron Tupac is the chair of the newly formed Conservation & Stewardship Committee at the North American Mycological Association. In this special meeting of Exploring the Mycoverse, Aaron will share what they have learned about the current state of fungal conservation and the many ways you can get involved. Aaron will also share their experience working with the Fungal Diversity Survey (FUNDIS) on the CA FUNDIS Project, the first ever taxpayer-funded mycological conservation project to map the diversity of macrofungi in California! The discussion will focus on how you can get involved too! They will present an introduction to the community science app iNaturalist and how you can contribute to the Mycoverse's community science project, the SoCal Funga Project. The workshop portion will guide attendees through the steps of making scientific observation of mushrooms. Lastly, we will discuss mushroom codes of conduct – discussing popular questions such as:

• Can I pick a mushroom? Any mushroom? All mushrooms?
• What effect will it have on their population?
• How can I reduce my impact when looking for mushrooms?
• How can I give back to mushrooms & fungi?