4. What if a mushroom is large. Do I have to collect the whole thing? No, just collect a small portion, such as 1/4 of the cap. Ideally your dried specimen should fit into a snack-size Ziplock bag.

5. Does the quality of the specimen matter? as in, what if it is starting to decay or is not perfect? Harvesting fresh as possible will always get the best results. Interesting things can be saved in less prime condition. Worse condition means lower success rates, but they can still be submitted if you have reason to believe the collection is particularly interesting.

6. Do I need the field data slips in order to participate? Yes, we do ask you to print out slips for the year of the event (2024 = CA24-XXXXX slips). We use these field slip numbers to organize specimens in the herbarium. But even for your collections, it is tough to maintain organization without them. We highly suggest you download them to help keep track of which specimen is what. Specimens change significantly as they dry, so you will likely not be able to identify the mushroom later in the process without some type of identifying number attached to it. If you do not have field data slips (or run out of them) use the iNaturalist number to keep track of your collections.

7. What if I run out of field data slips?  You can print more data slips for the project at any time.

8. What do I need to fill out on each field data slip? The requested minimum information to fill out is the date, your name as the collector (you can use initials), the site name, and the collection date. The more information you are willing to save, the more valuable the report/specimen will be for science. Once your specimens are dry, please put the iNaturalist number for each collection on your voucher slips. The Foray ID field on the slips is not used for this event.

9. Do I need to smell and taste each mushroom? No, but this information is important for certain groups of mushrooms. These sections of the field data slip are optional, but encouraged. Also keep in mind that taste does not equal swallow. You can taste any mushroom without fear. Just gently chew a small bit of the mushroom and let it sit on your tongue for a few seconds to see if any specific taste starts to develop. Then spit the flesh out.

10. What are the numbers on the bottom of the field data slip for? The “Voucher Label for Drying” can be torn off and stored in your tackle box or basket with the specimen. This will allow you to keep the specimens organized with the pictures you take (be sure to take a picture of the field data slip with each specimen for the number and the scale bar on the side of the slip).  The “Tissue Label” is not something we will be using as a part of this project. Please keep it attached to the field data slip with the specimens you send in.

11. Do I have to upload the photos using the mobile app? You have several options to get your images/reports onto iNaturalist. 1.) You can create reports using the mobile app in the field as you go along. If you do not have cell service, the app will store the individual reports until your phone is connected. 2.) You could take pictures in the field without using the mobile app, and upload individual reports later once you are back at home. (This is often the suggested method, as you don’t have to fuss with as much in the field and can spend more time enjoying nature.) Finally, 3.) You could take images with a regular camera and upload individual reports on the iNaturalist website through your computer browser.

12. Can I use online platforms other than iNaturalist to upload my observations for this event? Yes, but we would ask you to replicate them on iNaturalist. Our post-event data processing and aggregation is much easier if all of the observations are in a single location.

13. Can you return the specimens that are sent in? Unfortunately, we will not be able to return any specimens that are submitted. If you would like to ensure your specimens are retained, please only send a “split” or a portion of the collection to the processing facility. You are welcome to retain the remainder of your collection and submit it to a local herbarium.

14. Do I need to fill out the “Collector’s Name” observational field for each record?  No, it only needs to be used if the name of the collector is different than the person submitting the observation. If you are primarily posting your own finds, iNaturalist has a “Display Name” field in your account settings that can be used for your real name. If this is filled out in your settings, then the name in this field will be associated with all downstream data, including the GenBank accessions.

15. What if a new species is discovered? Who gets the credit? iNaturalist has a “Collector’s name” field that can be filled out when submitting an observation, if the name of the collector is different than the person submitting the observation. The credit for the collection of a new species would go to the person who submitted the iNaturalist observation or the name of the individual in the Collector’s name field. We do not intend to formally describe any new species as a part of these events, at least in the near term, only outlining biodiversity. Collections are frequently forwarded to specialists on specific groups that have an interest in describing individual species. If you are personally interested in describing new species encountered, please retain a portion of your specimen for microscopy and/or other descriptive purposes, and you are welcome to use the DNA data that is generated as a part of your efforts.

16. Will this data be uploaded to GenBank?  Yes, every collection that is submitted and that has a DNA sequence successfully generated will be uploaded to GenBank. We will not hold back any DNA sequences from public view for these events.

17. Does harvesting mushrooms hurt the environment? The short answer is no. It is misguided to think of harvesting mushrooms in the same terms as harvesting plants or other organisms. There have been multiple studies to explore this topic and the preponderance of evidence has not found harvesting to have a negative impact on the organism. Mushrooms are only the reproductive structure of the organism, like an apple on a tree. The main body of the organism lives under the ground or in the wood that you are harvesting the mushroom from. Walking through the woods off trail (ground compaction) is likely to have a greater impact on the environment than harvesting mushrooms. As always, there are caveats to these statements. Ex – harvesting large numbers of perennial polypores are likely to have different impacts on the organism that large numbers of Chanterelles.

18. Who is funding this project?  The CA component of the project is currently being funded by the California Institute of Biodiversity and Hoosier Mushroom Society/Mycota Lab. We would appreciate additional funding partners who would help to fund specimens from their own localities, particularly other clubs interested in their local biodiversity to help spread the cost around the country.  If your club/organization would like to be a partner on this project, please email us. If you are an individual who would like to donate to this project, and help us increase the number of specimens we can sequence, you can follow the QR code below to donate. The Hoosier Mushroom Society/Mycota Lab is a 501c3 organization.

19. I have more questions. Who can I contact? info@mycota.com    

Some final pre-shipment checks:

• Preference is to have snack or sandwich size bags (6 1/2″ wide versions) without the plastic slide zipper.
• Please include the field data slip in the bag with the writing visible from the outside.
• The field data slip should have a CMXX- number, with XX being the current year. Ex – “CA24-.” The sequential field data slip numbers are important because it is how we organize them in the herbarium. Field data slips can be printed here: https://mycomap.com/events/event-slips?event=143
• Ensure the iNat number is written on each voucher slip. Please remove all of the air from the bags before shipping.
• Please put all of your specimens in sequential order by the collection number before shipment.
• It is fine to put all of your collections into a final gallon-size ziplock or as loose bags in the shipping box.
• Please ensure this CMXX- number is on each iNaturalist observation in the “Voucher Number(s)” observation field.

Additional requests:

• Please do not write on the exterior of the Ziplock. Include the iNat number inside the bag.
• No need to write a duplicate iNat number on exterior if it is visible on the field data slip from outside of the bag.
• There is no need to include silica gel packets in the bags. The specimen should be fully dried before shipment.
• There is no need to wrap specimens in paper within the bag or otherwise double bag individual collections.
• Please do not staple the field slip to the bag. Place it in the bag.
• Please trim the field data slips down if you only printed one per page.
• Ensure each slip has a unique number. Do not print multiple copies of the same slip number.
• Please ensure your specimens do not have any excess dirt or debris in the bag.