Biodiversity Collective

02/06/2026

Leucocoprinus sp. ‘HI04’ - a NEW temp code was created for this collection from our survey in Kaua'i, Hawai'i this past January. It was found in a crevice of highly decomposed wood by Biodiversity Collective founder Graham Steinruck.

Curious what we mean by a temp code? Temporary codes (also called ITS taxa) are placeholder names used for when DNA sequencing reveals a distinct fungal lineage that may not yet have a formal scientific name.

Instead of forcing observations into an existing species concept, the validation team assigns a standardized temporary code so records can be consistently tracked across observations, specimens, and DNA sequences 🧬

These names help researchers communicate about potentially un-described or poorly understood fungi while taxonomic work is underway.

If you would like to learn more about this project or this collection, visit our Kaua'i Fungal Biodiversity Survey project page on our website or visit the link in our bio. There you can find links to our project page to view all of the amazing fungi our team.

06/05/2026

Favolaschia manipularis, photographed in January during our recent Kauaʻi survey by assistant researcher Tyler Brunner, capturing the mushroom’s characteristic green bioluminescence.

This mushroom is a bit of an unusual one. Despite having a poroid spore-bearing surface, it is part of the Mycenaceae, a group more commonly associated with gilled mushrooms.

The glow is produced through a luciferin–luciferase reaction, where a light-emitting compound (luciferin) reacts with oxygen, catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase.

This species has also been reported as a culinary mushroom in parts of Southeast Asia.

It is likely introduced to Hawaiʻi, but is now becoming widespread and can be found across many habitats, typically growing on decaying wood.

The recent Kauaʻi Fungal Biodiversity Survey conducted by focused on documenting fungal diversity across a range of habitats on the island, from native forest systems to more disturbed environments.

If you would like to learn more about the project or see additional observations, you can visit our website or check the link in our bio:
https://www.biodiversitycollective.org/projects/kauai-biodiversity-survey

📸: Tyler Brunner

11/03/2026

As the dust settles after the Kaua‘i Mushroom Summit 2026, we are finally taking some time to look through photos and reflect on what an incredible event this year’s summit was, and on all of you who joined us. It was a full few days of learning, conversation, and quality time together, and we are grateful for the energy and care that surrounded the event.

Mahalo nui loa to everyone who attended, volunteered, or presented. We are so grateful for all your enthusiasm and kindness you brought to the event this year. We could not have done it without you.

We want to give a huge thanks to Hui o Laka and the Koke‘e Civilian Conservation Corps Camp for hosting us and providing such a meaningful setting for the summit, and to the community of Kaua‘i for welcoming us and sharing your knowledge and support.

The Kaua’i Mushroom Summit continues to support our ongoing effort to catalog and document the fungal diversity of Kaua‘i. While the field survey is carried out by our research team, the summit brings the community together and helps make this work possible.

We are reviewing this year’s survey results now and look forward to sharing updates in the coming weeks. And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to our mailing list on our website to stay up to date on our upcoming events.

17/06/2025

Two ways to restore the planet 👇🌲 Switch to Ecosia: https://ecosia.co/planetwild🌱 Join Planet Wild: https://planetwild.com/join/m28Fungi connect life, rec...

14/11/2024

The report for the Kaua'i Fungal Biodiversity Survey is now available! Here are some key findings:

During our time on the island last year we recorded over 480 observations of fungi and made 300 collections the be deposited at the Bishop Herbarium (BISH), representing 86 families and 127 genera. Of these 300 collections, 142 collections have been identified to species level so far.

As part of the survey we also DNA sequenced samples from the collection directly from the field. To date, 155 sequences have been validated and added to NCBI GenBank, 30 of which were sequences never before added to the database.

Of the 125 collections that were assessed for their range and records, 49 taxa are first records for Kaua'i, 24 entirely new to the Hawaiian Islands, with the remaining 25 species new to just the island of Kaua'i!

To read the full report visit: https://tinyurl.com/mhkkh8y7

A three-day series of workshops covering various aspects of fungal biology and conservation also took place at the C.C.C Camp in Koke'e State Park. If you or someone you know is interested in learning how to document fungi and help support this important research, we will be hosting another workshop series at C.C.C. Camp in Kaua'i, Nov. 2025. Visit our website to RSVP! www.biodiversitycollective.org

08/10/2024

We have an exciting announcement! This year the Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival has graciously sponsored a fungal survey of the former Lake Aldwell restoration site along the Elwha River in Olympic National Park. Coordinated by Biodiversity Collective, this project is a collaborative effort involving the support of multiple institutions and organizations, including Oregon State University, the University of Washington’s Burke Herbarium, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's Natural Resources Department. Together, we bring diverse expertise and resources to ensure the success of the research and its impact on conservation efforts.

Lake Aldwell was once a reservoir created by the Elwha Dam, which was built in the early 20th century. In a monumental effort to restore the Elwha River ecosystem, the dam was removed in 2012, allowing the river to flow freely for the first time in over a century. The lake bed has since been undergoing a natural restoration process, with native vegetation gradually returning and wildlife reestablishing their habitats. This area provides a unique opportunity to study ecological recovery and the role of fungi in ecosystem restoration.

Did you know that less than 5% of the world’s fungal species have been documented? Our project seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by thoroughly documenting the fungal biodiversity in this unique and ecologically significant area. By conducting both above-ground and below-ground surveys, we will capture a comprehensive picture of the fungal community. Our above-ground surveys will focus on visible fruiting bodies, while below-ground surveys will examine fungal DNA found in soil.
If you or someone you know is looking for an opportunity to learn how to help document fungi for research, there are still tickets available to participate! Don’t miss this chance to help contribute to our understanding of these important organisms.

We are so excited to collaborate with the amazing team at the Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival. This event is a fantastic opportunity to learn about fungi, from cultivation, medicinal applications, to art, music, food and more! For information and tickets visit their website: https://www.opfungifestival.com.

https://www.biodiversitycollective.org/elwha-river-fungal-survey

This project aims to uncover the hidden world of fungi in the former Lake Aldwell restoration area along the Elwha River. Fungi are an essential yet often overlooked component of our ecosystems, playing vital roles in soil health, plant growth, and nutrient cycling. Despite their importance, less th...

20/04/2024

Happy Earth Day Earthlings!

🌍 🌎 🌏

Did you know that Hawai'i boasts one of the highest levels of plant endemism, with 90% of its 1,367 native vascular plant taxa found nowhere else? Unfortunately, many of these plants are threatened with extinction, with a significant percentage already extinct. Moreover, the fungal biodiversity of Kaua'i remains relatively understudied, highlighting the importance of our ongoing research efforts.

During the Kaua’i Fungal Biodiversity Survey last fall founder Graham Steinruck () spotted a tiny yellow fungi growing in a muddy ravine. To everyone’s amazement it was Hygrocybe puaena, one of the extremely rare endemic fungi found in the Hawai’ian Islands! Named by Dennis Dejardin, one of the most recognized mycologists in Hawai’i, in Hawai’ian ‘puaena’ translates to “hot flower”. Pua’ena was also a legendary woman who came to Hawai’i with Pele, the goddess of the volcano. 🌋

Unfortunately just like many of the endemic species of Hawai’i, many of the beautiful Hawai’ian Hygrocybe species are considered vulnerable or threatened due to habitat loss, disease, and climate change. I’m fact, 2 species of Hygrocybe (H. pakelo and H. noelokelani) as considered endangered by . Some of these species only occur in 3 known locations worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts and biodiversity protection.

By conducting biodiversity surveys we can help increase knowledge and awareness about these important issues and provide valuable data to land management agencies and research institutions. For more information about the Kaua’i Fungal Biodiversity Survey, check out our linktree in our bio!

📸:

16/04/2024

Greetings fellow biodiversity lovers! 🌍 💚🌺🍄

The recent Kaua’i Fungal Biodiversity Survey hosted by this past fall was designed to help survey fungi in the vulnerable ecosystems of the island of Kaua’i, while also providing opportunities for local students & researchers learn skills and knowledge on how to help document fungi for future research and study. By documenting the fungal diversity of the island we can help contribute valuable data and information towards conservation efforts as well as public awareness of fungi.

This beautiful fungi found and photographed on our survey by the intrepid mycologist was only recently described in Taiwan as Mycena venus, a bioluminescent fungi that can emit a green light from the mycelium! This is the first observation of this species on and was spotted twice on our survey this past fall.

If you would like to see more photos of the amazing fungi was discovered on our survey, be sure to check out our iNaturalist project: Biodiversity Collective Kaua’i Fungal Survey ‘23. You can also find more information about the project on our website www.biodiversitycollective.org

📸: Jack Johnson

01/04/2024

We have exciting news! The first round of DNA sequence validation from the 2023 Kaua’i Fungal Biodiversity Survey is complete. And we have so many exciting fungal discoveries to share with you all in the upcoming weeks, like this incredible observation by the talented Lauren Ré which is the very first observation of Coprinellus pseudodisseminatus on iNaturalist!

Coprinellus pseudodisseminatus was described in 2018 by Chinese researchers to be a species new to science. It has quite a beautiful appearance with abundant cystidia covering almost every surface of the fruiting body. Lauren is such a talented photographer and we are absolutely in love with this photo of this fungi in all its fuzzy glory!

If you would like to learn more about the Kaua’i Fungal Biodiversity Survey check out our linktree in our bio, and be sure to check out our project on iNaturalist.org to see all of the unique fungal biodiversity we observed during our time on the island.

📸: Lauren Ré -

27/11/2023

We are so grateful to have been lucky enough to have mycologist at the Kaua’i Biodiversity Survey and Ecotour this past November! Lauren was such an integral part of this year’s event and we are so thankful for all of her contributions to the project.

About Lauren:
Lauren Ré is a mycologist and nature educator in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She studied cryptogams such as fungi, lichens, and bryophytes at the Evergreen State College where she earned her B.S. She is devoted to helping equip curious naturalists with resources to better study and connect with biodiversity.

Lauren provided two workshops to the event this year:

Beginner Mushroom Identification & Fungal Biology- We took a deep dive into the engaging practice of mushroom identification! We covered how to find mushrooms and understand their ecological roles, tell them apart based on their variable forms and structures, and how to use your senses to enhance your field experience. This talk also touched upon basics of fungal biology, offering a framework of how fungi fit into our world.

How To Document Fungi- This presentation covered the essentials of community science through a fungal lens. We learned how to observe mushrooms through photography, collection, description, and preservation. Through this process, our findings can help contribute to the regional and global understanding of fungal diversity. Lauren also introduced the exceptional online resource , learning how to upload our findings and explore organisms of every kind on an interactive world map.

She was also gracious enough to allow us to record her workshops and we will be providing them for free on our website! Stay tuned for for links to her talks by following