The Continental Mycoblitz is Coming!

Every year since 2019 amateur mycologists (or mycophiles) have collected and documented mushrooms for the Continental Mycoblitz .

This year, as part of a new project that aims to document the fungi found in the Beaver Hills Biosphere, the Friends of Elk Island Society has teamed up with the Alberta Mycological Society. Together the two societies have hosted a number of citizen science mycology events with more to come.

From August 16-18, 2024 they will be hosting the Beaver Hills Mycoblitz, a citizen science project relying on observations logged on iNaturalist. At this weekend event, participants will collect and identifying mushrooms from a number of sites south of Hastings Lake in Strathcona and Beaver counties.

There is a small fee to attend the event but camping is free! Participants should be members of either the Friends of Elk Island Society or the Alberta Mycological Society. More information relating to the project can be found on the Friends' website.

Get more details and register for the events here.

Please note that collection of mushrooms is not allowed in any parks or protected areas without written permission. This applies to the general public, members of the Alberta Mycological Society and members of the Friends of Elk Island Society. Membership of these societies does not confer any special privileges. Leaders of the Beaver Hills Mycoflora Project have obtained permits from Parks Canada, the Province of Alberta, Nature Conservancy Canada and Strathcona County. These permits allow collection for scientific purposes only and apply to named individuals and groups under their supervision.