Fungal Network of New Zealand

MYCELIAL FUNGI by Sue Edmonds

We look to space for other worlds
Know little of the maze beneath our feet
Where grow mycelial labyrinths
Connected and coordinated dwellers.

Their swarms of hyphal tips move endlessly
Through spaces in our soils as tubes of threads
Transport networks of rivers of cellular fluids
Finding chemicals, receiving carbohydrates.

A symbiotic mesh with plants which grow above
Where animals put food in their own bodies
Fungi put their bodies into foods
Shapeshifters moving through our soils.

This story on the 2021 fungal foray was written by Bill Morris and photographed by Lottie Hedley: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-underground-forest/

Several members of the 2021 stewart island fungal foray to stewart island were interviewd for the TV show 'Seven Sharp'. You can watch this here: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/seven-sharp/clips/out-and-about-with-the-fu...

The rare and endangered Macrocystidia reducta (Fishy Pouch Fungus) smells a bit like rotten fish and looks like a pouch. It is only found on Banks Peninsula in native podocarp forest, listen below for the audio clip, and for more information check out these links:

FUNNZ member Anna Chinn (Journalist and mushroom romantic) has published an article on Aotearoa/New Zealand luminescent fungi. Check it out here: https://www.darksky.org/a-fungal-fairy-land-revisited/

Limited places are still available for the foray on Stewart Island, taking place between April 11th – 17th 2021. Key details are:

The 2021 Fungal foray will be held at Oban, Stewart Island Rakiura, 11 to 17 April 2021. This is a replacement for the 2020 foray that was not held due to COVID-19. Those who registered for the 2020 foray will have first priority for places in 2021.

Long time FUNNZ member Shirley Kerr as written an updated field guide to identifying New Zealand fungi. The book can be purchased from her website here: https://www.kaimaibush.co.nz/fungi/fungi-books.html

UPDATE: Due to COVID-19 the 2020 Foray is cancelled. More detail below.

We will be based at Stewart Island Community Centre, Ayr Street, Oban. There will be four days for foraying and specimen study, with the 19^th Mycology Colloquium talking place on Wednesday April 29^th. Please note, this year we are restricting numbers to around 45 participants, due to the logistical challenges presented by running the foray on Stewart Island. We will also initially accept registrations for the full foray only. Final details for the timing of daily activities will be provided on the first morning, but expect to be arranging your own breakfast, then meeting at the centre from 8:00am for the foray days. Dinners will be served at a variety of locations. This year, we will be setting up the hall from Monday morning so anticipate that excursions leaving that morning may start a little later than normal. However, lunches will be provided for us pre-bagged, and there are lots of spots to foray that are a close walk, so there will still be plenty of time for collecting.

The Australasian Mycological Society will be holding a Scientific Meeting in Hobart, Tasmania 10th- 11th July 2020.

Check the attached poster for more details. For updates check the AMS website at www.australasianmycologicalsociety.com or Twitter (@ausmycsoc) and the upcoming society newsletters.