Protect the Fungi You Love
Fungal conservation relies entirely on community action. We build tools, coordinate research, and offer employment opportunities to make mycology accessible to everyone.
Become a community scientist today—choose a program below to get started.
Get Involved
There are many ways to contribute to fungal conservation, whether you are heading out for a weekend hike, documenting fungi in your neighborhood, organizing a local project, or helping strengthen the scientific data behind our work.
You do not need to be a mycologist to make a meaningful contribution. Start wherever you are.
Start in Five Minutes
Perfect for hikers, foragers, photographers, nature lovers, and anyone curious about fungi.
Contribute to the Fungal Diversity Database
Every fungal observation helps us better understand where species occur across North America. Download iNaturalist, photograph fungi you encounter, document important habitat information, and contribute your observations to FUNDIS projects.
Even casual sightings can become part of a much larger picture of fungal biodiversity.
Join a Rare Fungi Challenge
Help search for rare, threatened, and under-documented fungi.
Our Rare Fungi Challenges invite community scientists to look for priority species in their region and contribute observations that can help fill critical gaps in what we know about fungal distribution and abundance.
Explore the Challenge in your region and see what fungi are waiting to be found.
Support Fungal Conservation
You do not have to be in the field to make an impact.
Donations support community science programs, fungal DNA sequencing, volunteer resources, conservation initiatives, and the infrastructure needed to turn observations and specimens into useful scientific data.
Go Deeper
Ready to become more involved? Help organize projects, contribute specialized skills, or work directly with the FUNDIS community.
Start or Join a Local Project
Help document fungal diversity in a place you care about.
FUNDIS Local Projects bring community scientists together to systematically document fungi within a defined park, trail system, watershed, preserve, or region. Participants can organize field outings, build local partnerships, collect specimens, and contribute valuable long-term biodiversity data.
Contribute to DNA Sequence Validation
DNA sequencing is helping transform what we know about fungal diversity.
Volunteers with relevant experience can support the review and validation of fungal DNA sequence data, helping ensure that sequence records are accurately connected with specimens, observations, and taxonomy.
Volunteer With FUNDIS
FUNDIS is powered by a growing network of volunteers across North America.
Opportunities may include regional coordination, community outreach, communications, data management, project support, field work, and other specialized roles.
Field Resources
Heading into the field? These resources can help you document fungi in ways that make your observations and collections more valuable for research and conservation.
Field Data Slips
Download printable field slips for recording location, habitat, substrate, associated species, and other information that can give a fungal observation greater scientific value.
Fungal Collection Protocol
Learn how to photograph, document, collect, dry, label, and preserve fungal specimens so they can be used for identification, DNA sequencing, and future research.
Find a Fungarium
Fungaria preserve physical fungal specimens for future generations of researchers.
Learn where specimens can be deposited and how properly documented collections can become part of the permanent scientific record.
Every Observation Adds to the Story
Fungi remain one of the least documented major groups of organisms on Earth. Closing those knowledge gaps will take scientists, naturalists, mushroom clubs, photographers, hikers, and curious people working together.
Whether you contribute one observation or help lead an entire project, you can help build the knowledge needed to understand and protect fungal biodiversity.
