Kid-Friendly Field Data Slips
Field data slips are used by both professional and community scientists to help make their mushroom observations more useful for research by adding in other information it can be hard to get from photos alone. I adapted the typical version to be more family-friendly, using simple (but still accurate!) vocabulary and a space for drawing—no phones needed. An afternoon of making good observations together (as a family, a class, or a playgroup) is sure to sharpen your attention and is a great first step to accurately identifying mushrooms!
Download the free PDF here!
If you’d like to contribute your mushroom observations to science, consider getting involved with the Fungal Diversity Survey! As North America’s only conservation organization devoted to fungi, they’re doing super important work to help protect fungi and their habitats (which are our habitats too!), and anyone with a camera and an internet connection can become one of their community scientists. You can upload observations to their database on iNaturalist, or participate in one of their Rare Fungi Challenges!