Calling all volunteers – help support NYMS in 2025!
January 1, 2025
Telluride Mushroom Festival Lincoff Student Scholarship now accepting applications
January 13, 2025
Mark Richman, a DC-based naturalist who many know from iNat as Imasongster has created a new project for Diatrype virescens that he is hoping people will contribute observations to.
Here is the project description and guidelines on how to observe:
Kiwi Bubbles (Diatrype virescens) is a cold weather charismatic fungus fruiting when other fungi have stopped. Observations on iNat suggest it is not that common.
However, if one knows the only tree it colonizes (American Beech), it is possible to search for it on the ground or still attached to dead branches, increasing your observations greatly!
The twigs are usually 1/8” -1/4” diameter but can be found up to 1”+ diameter under larger trees.
One photo will be taken of each branch/twig.
Acceptable views are 1) fresh green, 2) older brown or black with ostioles present. Ostioles are the “bubbles” or tiny black dots through which spores fall, and 3) old black (see examples on iNat).
One photo per tree.
Before you start a survey, note the time—a screen shot of time is easiest, and the time of completion.
Finally, if possible, note the number of feet walked from the first to last observation. Easily done with Steps app. Multiply steps by stride length and express in feet.
For people with more time, note trees where NO fungus is detected. Colored chalk can be used to mark trees with numbers so you’re sure you’ve seen it!
Join the project via the Join button at the top right corner of this page or by searching for the Kiwi Bubbles Fungus Project on your phone (projects icon bottom right corner, use the magnifying glass on the top right to search).
