Since I began studying fungi in 2019 I have been drawn towards the Ascomycetes. The spores packaged neatly in its asci and the paraphyses nesting around providing color and protection, just makes sense in my brain. I like looking at those small microscopic worlds fanning out in squash mounted slides so I can take spore measurements. I also have a real knack for finding the little black cups or micro colonies of tiny Ascomycetes fruiting on rotting logs.

Despite the incredibly difficult fall we had I want to take a moment and celebrate some recent accomplishments. In November 2021, I was acknowledged in my first scientific publication for the work I am doing with the Pezizales study from the University of Florida. This was a goal of mine since I started this mushroom science adventure and I am so proud of how far I have come in just a couple years.

I have collected and sent in samples to be DNA sequenced. They get to use the data in their study and I get the sequence info on my mushrooms. Plus they are putting my vouchered specimens in the herbarium and giving me credit in the papers that come from my collections. It is a dream come true for this community scientist!