Revegetation programs may choose to source and re-introduce a broad range of local fungi. Part of this depends on knowing your local weedy or problematic species, so that you can take care NOT to spread them. Methods discussed are suitable for nursery-raised seedlings to be planted in new or established revegetation areas.

Fungi4Land and MYCOmmunity are holding an online fungal spore restoration workshop: 

Using spores in native land restoration. 

It will feature a discussion with some practitioners who are developing local fungal restoration techniques, outlined below:

• Facilitated by Ema Corro 
• Introduction to working fungal with spores in Australian restoration - Dr. Sapphire McMullan-Fisher
• Meet the spore: using Prettymouths - Oliver Spnović
• Considering Geographe regional plant partners fungi & bacteria - Andrew Weinert
• Using local Dyeballs in Pilbara mine restoration - Kelsey Eldridge

The event will be held on Wednesday the 25th of October at 6:30 PM AEDT, 6:00 PM ACDT, 5:30 PM AEST, 3:30 PM AWST.

Event link will be sent out on the day.

Speakers

Dr. Sapphire McMullan-Fisher

Sapphire is an ecologist with twenty-five years experience in fungal education, conservation and land management.  Her special interest in the conservation of biodiversity, particularly the macrofungi and mosses. She has explored Australia’s many landscapes due to her involvement in many community groups across the country over the years. She particularly enjoys getting out into the bush to discover fungal treasures as often as she can.

Oliver Spnović

Oliver is a final year creative writing and publishing student at the University of the Sunshine Coast. After completing this academic endeavour, he intends to return to study and complete a hybrid honours course combining his love of the environment with his love for writing. He enjoys exploring his local national parks and drawing the native flora, fauna and fungi that he encounters there.

Andrew Weinert 

Andrew is continuing his passion of sharing practical knowledge as one of the best ways to develop the agricultural economy. With years of experience in dairy and other fermented food production systems,  microbiology,  quality assurance and industry economics.  

His considerable skills and experience have lead him to working as the voluntary chair of the Geographe Community Landcare Nursery in Busselton. This nursery grows local plants and aim to grow healthier or microbiologically selective plants by considering their partners fungi and bacteria alike. 

He and his collaborators are looking to isolate, and propagate local bacteria and fungi to grow more local plants better and especially in Mining and other rehabilitation areas where the local microbial populations may have been disrupted or destroyed.

Kelsey Eldridge

Kelsey is a final year Environmental Science student at Curtin University in Western Australia. She has been working in mine site rehabilitation in the Pilbara region for almost three years while participating in many landcare activities with local Friends groups. During this time she has become increasingly concerned about the lack of focus on fungi when it comes to restoring native vegetation and hopes to start using fungi more in restoration.

Kelsey is growing tubestock Eucalyptus leucophloea and Corymbia hamersleyana which have been inoculated with a local Pisolithus fungi. These will be planted in rehabilitated mine waste dumps which have had no establishment of these crucial species from native seed spreading.