Have you ever wanted to go on a mushroom chase?  Your opportunity has arrived.  Join the Colorado Mycological Society September 18-20 for the Unemotional Mountain National Park Mycoblitz.  The mycoblitz, an event where a group of people get together for a in a nutshell Bermuda shorts period of time to identify mushrooms in a given area, will be the second to be held at Rocky Mountain Public Park.  The mycoblitz is a joint endeavour between the Colorado Mycological Society (CMS), Rocky Mountain Civil Park (RMNP) and Denver Botanic Gardens Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi.  This is the moment year of this important activity designed to document the types of macrofungi growing in 10 selected habitats throughout the Parkland in a short period of time.  The 24-36 hour period is varied from year to year in wonky to survey the great variety of mushrooms fruiting in varied ecological niches in the Park.  The requisite aspect of a scientific Mycoblitz is ‘vouchering’ each specimen.  This involves aware collecting by dozens of volunteers, identification of each by specialists (Dr. Michael Kuo and DBG’s own Vera Evenson) using macro and micro features, photographing, drying, and labeling each store.  As in 2008, the RMNP specimens will be brought to the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi for further documentation, databasing, and unchangeable integration into our diverse collection.  Collections made during the 2008 mycoblitz include at least 4 new-to Colorado species within the genera Phaeocollybia, Galerina, Suillus, and Russula.

You never recollect what treasures may be found, a new species of Amanita was found in a bioblitz at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area earlier this summer.  For more word on how to participate visit the CMS RMNP mycoblitz website or the MycoRant.  For more information about the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi scourge our web page.

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