Sunday, February 22nd 10:00 am EST
On Zoom (Link Below)

Grab your coffee and join Alfred, Darren and Sigrid for a deep dive into the fascinating world of coprophilous fungi—those that grow on herbivore dung. These fungi are surprisingly diverse, ecologically important, and strikingly beautiful. The lecture will feature time-lapse and macro photography to reveal their hidden details, growth patterns and spore dispersal mechanisms. A wide range of species will be covered, from well-known genera like Pilobolus and Panaeolus to tiny ascomycetes and evanescent inkcaps. Each speaker will also showcase a few species which are particularly special to them, including species that are new to science.

Alphabetically, our speakers are:
Alfred Drummond-Herdman, based in Edinburgh, studies the often overlooked but ecologically important group that is coprophilous fungi. He uses macro time-lapse photography to reveal this hidden world to a wider audience. He is currently working on various taxonomic projects concerning the Bolbiteaceae and Psathyrellaceae, including the description of new species and the revision of a genus.

Darren Gordon is based in Dundee, Scotland, and has been studying fungi for the past four years. While he enjoys learning about all types of fungi, his primary focus is on coprinoids (inkcaps) and coprophilous species. His fascination began when he started incubating herbivore dung and was amazed by the incredible fungi that emerged. Darren particularly enjoys fieldwork – seeking out and identifying fungi in their natural habitats. He also helps manage several social media platforms, where he assists with identifying species from all over the world.

Sigrid Jakob is a New York City–based amateur mycologist who has studied dung-inhabiting ascomycetes for the past six years. Her work combines field observation, microscopy, and DNA sequencing, with a focus on documenting overlooked fungal diversity in urban and natural habitats. She is particularly interested in species discovery, taxonomy, and making specialist knowledge accessible to a broader audience.