Every year in the mushroom-season, the Tromsø Mushroom Society arrange mushroom check-points at the Tromsø University Museum where the general public can have their collected mushrooms identified. They also invite to guided tours and celebrate “Mushroom Day”. NorBOL attended all check-points so far this year and has received plenty of species for DNA barcoding.

One of the sampled mushrooms: Hygrocybe cf. pratensis. Photo Marie K. Føreid Merkel CC-BY.

“Mushroom Day” was held at Tromsø University Museum on September 4th and included an exhibition of freshly picked specimens as well as the regular check-point and a local guided tour. NorBOL attended the event and received about 20 new species for barcoding. Most of these came from the exhibition made by the Mushroom Society, but some were also donated by the visitors.Mushroom exhibition on Mushroom Day. Photo Marie K. Føreid Merkel CC-BY.

During collection of specimens for the exhibition, one new species to North Norway was found. This specimen will be barcoded. NorBOL staff used the opportunity to talk to visitors about DNA barcoding, the work that they do and how mushrooms are preserved and stored in the scientific collections at the museum. So far, NorBOL har received more than 120 species from the area of Tromsø, with great help from the Mushroom Society.

We hope that the last to check-point dates (11 and 18 September) will bring in even more specimens, and that we can continue our outreach on DNA-barcoding to the general public. Thanks to the Tromsø Mushroom Society for excellent collaboration!

Marie K. Føreid Merkel