Mushrooms and fungi are making an appearance in Kentucky forests. The Bluegrass Mycological Society is helping people learn more about these organisms.
The group is hosting a mushroom hiking expedition on May 4 for anyone interested in finding and learning about mushrooms.
Fenner Morse, Director of Microscopy and DNA sequencing for the Bluegrass Mycological Society, is one of the members who will be present at the expedition. He said these expeditions are important to help teach civilian scientists some of the basics about mushrooms.
“Another key reason why we do this is because fungal biodiversity is critically under-documented, and a lot of the species that we collect will be new to science, without a doubt,” said Morse.
Morse said the goal is to get lots of people out looking for mushrooms together, which they can then identify and catalog to gain a better understanding of local fungal biodiversity.
“We’re all about biodiversity. And the more people that you can get out searching at once the more likely that you’re going to find more fungal species,” said Morse.
The expedition is free and open to all ages, and pre-registration is not required. To attend, simply show up at the Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center in Sandy Hook at 10:30 a.m. on May 4.
Morse recommends wearing long pants even if it is a hot day, to help protect from nettles and poison ivy.