Perth Urban Bushland Fungi Project update and Club fungi events
Despite many funding applications over the last few years and recent months, unfortunately, the Perth Urban Bushland Fungi project (PUBF) has come to the position where there are no funds to operate it over the 2012 fungi season. This means we will be unable to hold PUBF fungi events for the general public this winter.
Over the past 2 winters our Club has kept PUBF afloat in the hope that we might be able to secure sufficient funding to continue. However, all our recent grant applications have been unsuccessful.
We would like to thank those involved in developing the very many grant applications submitted over the PUBF years, including the very successful early ones with Lotterywest.
As you will be aware, the Club, through members’ donations, has committed considerable funds to support a scientific project led by Neale Bougher through a 3 year ABRS grant which commenced in June 2011 and this fortunately has kept Neale at the WA Herbarium. However, the Club is not in a position to support the PUBF any more this year and Neale is fully committed work-wise on the Inocybe Project. So sadly and unfortunately our fantastic PUBF Project will have to be suspended for the time being. Our Club will maintain the current PUBF website for the near future so we are not shutting all doors. It is really disturbing to have such a wonderful inclusive community project with such a good track record fall on its face for lack of funding.
Fungi are affected by other parameters, such as rain and temperature rather than funding. Hopefully we will have some decent rain this winter and fungi will be fruiting all over the place including your local area. To maintain the fungi enthusiasm, there will be some Naturalists’ Club fungi excursions with Neale and the Perth Urban Bushland Fungi Project leaders.
On the afternoon of Sunday 27 May we will meet at the new WA Herbarium fungi processing area. Hopefully you will be able to bring some fresh fungi fruiting bodies and use our neat microscope and laptop combination whereby several people can look down the microscope at once via the computer screen. So bring any recent fungi you have found, hopefully (but not essentially) with spore prints to aid the identification. Meet at the new DEC Biodiversity Conservation Building at DEC Kensington at 2pm. Please park at the carpark at the front of DEC, off Hayman Rd and we will walk around to the fungi area together.
Sunday 10 June, 10am we will hold a fungi foray with the Friends of Bungendore Park at Bungendore Park in Armadale. It’s essential to contact Miriam on 9498 1570 to book a place on this event as places are limited.
Fungi weekend away at Dwellingup 15-17 June 2012 at Nanga Bushcamp. Neale Bougher and leaders from the Perth Urban Bushland Fungi project will be conducting forays and a workshop. We will also have other fungi activities in the evenings. Anyone with an interest in fungi is welcome to attend. Enthusiasm is the most desirable requirement. Cost will be $70 per person for the weekend and you must book to come. Please contact the Nats Club office at info@wanaturalists.org.au to book your place and you can pay the club by direct debit or cheque.
Sunday 24 June fungi foray with the Youngnats at Bold Park.
Sunday 29 July fungi foray at the Baldivis Children’s Forest with Mark Brundrett and Karen Clarke.
Roz Hart