How You Can Help
At MYCOGEN, our mission is to explore and document the extraordinary fungal diversity of Queensland and, in time, all of Australia. While we currently hold permits to conduct research in several national parks and reserves across Southeast Queensland, one of the biggest challenges we face in building a truly comprehensive picture of fungal biodiversity is access to land.
Fungi are everywhere—but each landscape tells a different story. A rainforest gully may host species found nowhere else, while open eucalypt woodland, farmland, or even a golf course may reveal its own hidden communities. The more sites we can access, the higher the resolution of the “biodiversity map” we are able to develop. Every additional property we survey helps us move closer to a detailed, accurate understanding of the fungal landscape.
Why Land Access Matters
Unlike plants and animals, fungi often go unnoticed, and vast numbers of species remain undocumented. To change this, we need to survey as many different environments as possible. By expanding the range of sites we can study, we:
Capture a more accurate and representative snapshot of fungal biodiversity.
Identify rare, threatened, or previously undescribed species.
Contribute vital data to science, conservation, and land management.
Build knowledge that can benefit future generations of researchers, educators, and community members.
Who Can Help
We welcome collaboration with:
Private landholders with bushland, rainforest, or other ecologically interesting areas.
Businesses and organisations that manage land, such as farms, vineyards/wineries, golf courses, schools, or educational campuses.
Community groups and councils with stewardship of reserves, parks, or heritage properties.
What Involvement Looks Like
Granting access to your land doesn’t cost you anything. We work closely with landowners to ensure every research foray is carefully planned and scheduled in advance, so it fits around your activities.
We’re also happy to share the results of our surveys with you. If you’re interested, you can receive data about the fungi collected on your property, helping you better understand the biodiversity of your own land.
By participating, you’re supporting science and conservation without any extra effort or expense and your property becomes an important part of a state-wide effort to map and protect fungal biodiversity.
Get Involved
If you own or manage land and are interested in contributing to this work, we’d love to hear from you. By giving us access, you are helping to build the foundation for fungal biodiversity research in Australia.
Please use our Contact Us page to reach out, and we can discuss what’s involved. Even a single property can make a meaningful difference. Together, we can bring the hidden world of fungi into the light.