AddFUNgi Training

MYCOmmunity is seeking volunteers interested in helping to build understanding and awareness of the importance of our unsung Australian fungi for healthy ecosystems.

We have an opportunity for some of your members to undertake training in mycology and conducting community events as part of our recently funded ‘Add Fungi’ project.

This project aims to engage already active environmental and community volunteers to build their understanding of a fascinating but largely unknown biodiversity kingdom. Despite being critical for ecosystem health and functioning, our fungi are poorly understood and often left out of ecological monitoring and citizen science. For example, many local marsupials like bandicoots depend on fungi as a source of food. In turn, such animals help to spread fungal spores which are vital mycorrhizal partners of trees. In order to better monitor and protect our ecosystems, we need to significantly build awareness and understanding of fungi.

• The ‘Add Fungi’ project has three stages.  Volunteers need to be able to commit to stage 1 & 2 training and at least one community event day. Details are being finalised, but indicative dates, primarily Saturdays, are suggestedStage 1 – Two days of training of selected volunteers in basic fungi biology and identification with expert mycologists.
  
  Saturdays 4 & 18 March 2023, from 10 am to 3 pm (these 2 days are already booked out)        
• Stage 2 – cross training volunteers in mycology and community engagement with expert facilitators*
  
  Saturdays 25 March and April 1 2023, from 10 am to 3 pm * Extra details for people who sign up. We will have at least a bandicoot expert (Eilish or Sophie) on each of these days. 
  
  First date will be a morning of mycology and the afternoon skill sharing. The second will be event creation day where different walks will be planned like bandicoot walk, children's walk etc.
• Stage 3 – Two public event days to learn about and survey for fungi with a focus on the story of the interdependence of bandicoots and fungi.
  
  Saturdays 24 June and 1 July 2023
  
  One day each at  Adams Creek Conservation Reserve, Nyora and Bandicoot Corner, Bayles/Koo Wee Rup,  24 June and 1 July 2023

The ‘Add Fungi’ project aims to develop skills that can be used across future citizen science programs. The project brings together a range of partners including project coordinators MYCOmmunity, bandicoot experts from Parks Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) Cranbourne, the Cranbourne Friends RBGV, the Cardinia Environment Coalition and the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria fungi group. 

Volunteers with an interest in mycology and availability for training and public events should fill in the form below.

*Note all volunteers will require or have applied for a Working With Children.