North American Mycoflora Project (NAMP) presentation and Summer Mushroom ID

Guest speaker: Todd Osmundson is a member of the biology faculty at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse who studies fungal diversity using field and laboratory approaches. Some of the topics currently studied in his lab include fungal diversity of the island of Moorea, French Polynesia, genomic features of fire-associated morel mushrooms, tracking the invasion history of the golden oyster mushroom, taxonomy/classification of Tylopilus and other boletes, and using DNA sequencing to understand mushroom diversity in the Driftless Region. His lab is one of two labs conducting DNA sequencing for the initial phase of the North American Mycoflora Project.

The North American Mycoflora Project (NAMP) is a collaboration between citizen scientists and professional mycologists to develop a comprehensive survey of North American macrofungi by using vouchered, DNA sequenced specimens to identify species and develop online resources including species lists, descriptions, keys, and geographic range maps.  This presentation will describe the process for specimen submission, processing (i.e., what happens to your specimen in the lab), and how the sequence data are analyzed and made available to the submitter and to the public.

Following the presentation, ID chairperson, Ron Spinosa and other board members will assist in identifying mushrooms brought in by our members and guests. Details will also be provided regarding this year’s MMS State Fair Display.