Fungi Enthusiasts Seek to Protect Rare and Overlooked Species

Citizen scientists play a key role in documenting fungal diversity and conservation efforts in the U.S.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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Fungi enthusiasts like Jessica Allen and Jesse Miller are part of a growing community working to protect the wondrous and mystical world of fungi, which are essential to life on Earth but have been largely neglected by conservation efforts. Amateur researchers are making important discoveries and monitoring rare species, helping to accelerate fungal conservation in the U.S. and Canada. While fungi conservation lags behind other parts of the world, community science initiatives are starting to change that by documenting fungal diversity and identifying species at risk of extinction.

Why it matters

Fungi are an enormous kingdom of life forms that are essential to the planet's ecosystems, contributing an estimated $54 trillion to the global economy. However, only about 6% of the millions of estimated fungal species have been documented, and many face threats from climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and overharvesting. Protecting fungi is crucial for maintaining healthy environments and supporting biodiversity.

The details

Fungi enthusiasts like Jessica Allen and Jesse Miller are part of a growing community working to protect fungi, which are neither plants nor animals but an essential part of life on Earth. They are documenting rare and little-known species like the Manzanita butter clump, a yellow mushroom found only along North America's Western coastlines. Groups like the California Lichen Society organize annual forays where amateur lichenologists and lichen lovers fan out to collect data and make important discoveries. This community science work is helping to accelerate fungal conservation efforts in the U.S. and Canada, where protection has lagged behind other parts of the world.

  • The Manzanita butter clump was last seen in California's Napa County two years ago.
  • The California Lichen Society holds annual forays where they collect data on lichens.

The players

Jessica Allen

A fungi scientist and mycologist for NatureServe, a hub for biodiversity data throughout North America, who is helping to accelerate and support fungal conservation.

Jesse Miller

An ecologist and president of the California Lichen Society, which organizes annual forays to document lichen diversity.

Gregory Mueller

The co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's fungal conservation committee, who coordinates global fungal protection activity.

Nora Dunkirk

A botanist and mycologist at Portland State University's Institute for Natural Resources, who is working to document vulnerable plant and fungi species to help with conservation efforts.

Ken Kellman

An amateur lichenologist whose obsession with lichens has helped scientists discover biodiversity in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California.

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What they’re saying

“It's so easy to get distracted, but there's so many lichen!”

— Jessica Allen, Fungi scientist

“Lichenologists make terrible hiking partners”

— Larry Cool, Chemist

“It just keeps your brain in that place where you're saying 'Wow!' all the time. 'That's cool!' And that's my favorite place for my brain to be.”

— Ken Kellman, Amateur lichenologist

What’s next

Scientists and conservation groups will continue to work with citizen scientists to document fungal diversity and identify species at risk, in order to develop effective protection and management strategies.

The takeaway

Fungi are an essential but often overlooked part of the natural world, and a growing community of enthusiasts is playing a vital role in conserving these mysterious and diverse organisms. Their efforts are helping to raise awareness and drive conservation action, even as fungi face increasing threats from human activities.