Diario de autumna

Last December I sent off some specimens to get sequenced by the Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDiS). I carefully followed their protocols and got back some excellent reports through BOLD systems. When I got the reports back in April of 2021, it started an avalanche of new opportunities and really opened up my world to what it could really mean to be a Citizen Scientist.

Through those 7 sequences, I have been swept up in a flurry of chain emails from mycologists, herbariums and opportunities to learn more than I ever thought I could. FunDis gave our group WVMS Funga a grant to sequence some fungi which we are diligently collecting and cataloging to send off to them. In addition I got the opportunity to send off my Ascomycete collection to get sequenced and be a part of the Pezizales study at the University of Florida Herbarium, through Dr. Matt Smith. I was beyond excited when I was awarded those opportunities to contribute to the study of mushrooms. But I wanted more.

I began looking into doing DNA amplification at home, in my own studio. I followed Sigrid Jakob's videos and watched everything I could that Alan Rockefeller made and then started sourcing equipment. I am happy to say that I now have a thermal cycler and centrifuge in my studio and have started up a conversation on a Facebook forum to gather my remaining supplies. After some suggested reading and lots of encouragement I feel more and more capable every day. I am still very new at this, but will try and learn everything I can from the mentors that are willing to teach.

Being a part of this community of scientists working so hard to build a database of knowledge gives me a purpose and I am so happy to contribute to something bigger. My dedication to mycology is only getting stronger as time passes.