WORKSHOP – Forests of Fungi

Fungus Identification and Survey Training Day

Deep in the Otways forests, strange things transpire in fungal realms.

Ghost fungi glow an eerie green.

Other fungi ensnare creatures in the subterrains.

And there are those that send local mammals into a frantic feeding frenzy.

The fungi of the diverse Otways Forests ecosystems are little known. Only very scant and mostly anecdotal records exist. Fungi are an important part of these forests in creating and stabilising soils, nourishing and interconnecting plants, as a food supply for animals, recycling nutrients and essentially underpinning their health and resilience.

Effective forest ‘management’ would ideally take into account more than just flora and fauna, but also soil health and the interconnectivities between all species including fungi. A comprehensive assessment of the fungi of these forests would contribute important information to the greater understanding of their biodiversity and function.

This aim of the training day is to equip participants with the basic principles and protocols for identifying and surveying fungi in the field. It provides the possibility for these participants to develop the skills to become leaders in community fungus surveying. The training day will follow the guidelines as outlined by Fungimap in their publication Guide to Surveying Fungi in Australia.

These fungus surveys complement SOLN’s existing flora and fauna monitoring. Data generated from the surveys will provide a baseline for ongoing fungus monitoring that has been conducted over the last eight years.

Participants will be provided with printed copies of the survey guide and other resources to use in the field

This workshop is sponsored by the Southern Otways Landcare Network. 

For further autumn 2018 workshops see the full listing here.