Mycology May, Lithgow
Hassans Walls fungi survey
Community Participation - LP013-006
The issue
Mycology is an understudied scientific field that has enormous potential benefits for restoration ecology. Fungi are an important part of ecosystems, assisting with decomposition and transportation of water and nutrients. Many flora species have symbiotic relationships with local fungi that is poorly understood.
Current land management practices are having a negative impact on fungi species diversity as well as flora and fauna.
Having a better understanding of the species in an area will assist land managers with understanding impacts of their management decisions.
The solution
Mycology May is a collaboration between Local Landcare Coordinators, Central Tablelands LLS Rural Landcare Facilitator and the Orange Agriculture Institute. Its aim is to raise capacity and awareness of local communities around fungal diversity.
The Hassans Walls fungi survey visited several sites in the Lithgow City Council managed reserve. The group observed many species of fungi and made records of them.
The impact
13 volunteers and two mycologists spent several hours surveying two sites on Hassans Walls Reserve, adding to the existing species list for the area. This is important as it assists land managers understand the health of ecosystems they manage.
Volunteers learnt how to observe, identify and record fungi species.
Feedback from the sessions has demonstrated that the community is interested in learning more about fungi and that future events will be well attended.
Key facts
- Mycology May is an annual event in the Central Tablelands to raise community capacity around fungi observtion and identification.
- Many local areas do not have fungi species lists, unlike local flora.
- Hassans Walls fungi survey saw volunteers and mycologists undertake a survey of local native fungi populations.