It is very possible that you can help discover new species for Manitoba if not North America or the world. You will contribute significantly to Manitoba ecosystem knowledge and preservation, citizen science, and ecology preservation. You will also learn more about the fungi you find and confirm their identity.

We are looking for MMS Members and the general public to help build a database of Manitoba Fungi as well as species found in NW Ontario.

Fungi specimens are documented, recorded in iNaturalist, dried and stored in our growing fungarium (a herbarium is a collection of dried and documented herbs, plants, from which fungarium is derived).

Although we are keen to get new, unusual or unique mushrooms, we want any fungi samples (called vouchers) you find.

Every Member contributing just 5 species each year will help us to reach our goal of 500 vouchers per year.

 

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How To Contribute

At first this may seem complicated, but after doing it a couple times, it becomes second nature.

This presentation explains how to contribute MycoMap MB and iNaturalist.

Contribution steps:

Prepare Voucher Slips for field use
• Request MycoMap MB Field Data Slips
  
• Print the slips to use in the field.
• Write your name on each Voucher or Field Data Slip and the iNaturalist ID.
• Carry the Voucher/Field Data Slips with you and use them sequentially as you find mushrooms to collect and keep the slip with each specimen you find.

Photograph and collect the specimen
• Set your camera to record the location; take good photos (see below) of fungi/mushrooms you find.
• Carefully pick a couple samples of the specimen, including the stem base and a small amount of what it is growing on if possible; place the samples in a paper bag or in a tackle box, with the voucher slip.
  • Note that specimens cannot be collected in National Parks, private or Indigenous properties without permission. MMS has a Parks Research Permit for our Forays. We are also collecting specimens from NW Ontario.
• Dry the fungi if you have a food dehydrator with a maximum temperature of 140F or 60C; it must be crispy dry; don't use an oven or air-fryer (it destroys the DNA).
• Put the dried specimen in a ziplock bag with the completed Voucher Slip and a desiccant pack; carefully squeeze out air from the ziplock and seal it; we can supply ziplocks, desiccant packs and Voucher Slips if you want.

Add the Observation to iNaturalist
• Open iNaturalist
• Search Projects for "MycoMap MB: A DNA Sequencing Project", select and JOIN the project
• Select "Observe"
  • Select the photos you took of the Voucher (sample)
  • Verify the location (you can obscure the location if you want)
  • Verify the date of the observation is correct
  • In the Notes field add any info such as species of associated trees, plants, hosts, smell, taste, spore print colour
  • Select an ID, choose the one at the top picked by iNat or browse the options to find one that is closest, and choose it
  • In the Projects field select "MycoMap MB: A DNA Sequencing Project", verify you have a Voucher, and enter your Voucher Number recorded on the Voucher Slip above
  • Then UPLOAD the observation
  • Obtain the iNat observation 9 digit number from the end of the iNaturalist observation URL or from the Details info in the new iNat app and add it to the Field Data Slip

If you do not want to or cannot add the Observation to iNaturalist
• You are welcome to upload your observation information and photo using this form
• MycoMap MB Observation Upload

Submit the Voucher to the Fungarium
• Deliver the dried or undried specimen(s) to us (Donna or Pat) quickly/ASAP with their Field Data Slips.
• Email mycomapmb@gmail.com to advise you have Voucher(s) for the project.
• After we receive a specimen we will ensure it is:
  • dried,
  • documented in our database,
  • added to our Fungarium,
  • added to iNaturalist as an observation if not already completed
  • added to our database report,
  • sent for DNA sequencing,
  • validated for species identification (eventually), and
  • verify or update the iNaturalist observation identification.

Here is an example of observation iNat357784213 Aspen bracket.

Here is observation iNat 357783062 Trichaptum subchartaceum.

If you have any questions or comments Email mycomapmb@gmail.com.