About Forays

About Forays

Field Trips or “Forays” are generally held monthly, providing conditions are suitable for macrofungi to be appearing in local bushland.  Details of upcoming forays can be found in the Calendar.

Please note that it is illegal to collect fungi from protected areas in Queensland, such as National Parks, Reserves and State Forests.

Hefty fines can apply unless you have a special scientific or educational research permit. QMS has such a permit and can collect from a limited number of protected areas. Please make sure you are registered as an “assistant” on this permit and that you are aware of the various rules and regulations you must follow. For more information, contact Susie Webster who is the current QMS Collection Permit Holder.

To collect from private property, you must first get permission from the land owner.

These forays provide an excellent opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with some of the local fungi. The easiest way to learn how to identify macrofungi is from other knowledgeable people. Not only are these forays an excellent learning opportunity, they are also lots of fun. Organizers endeavour to include at least one foray each year which is of several days duration. These weekends away are particularly social occasions and are usually very well attended. Extended trips away also present an opportunity for participants to learn about the use of microscopes, databases and other fungi study resources.

• Foray sites are chosen by either the potential foray “leaders”, or by the Executive Committee;
• Forays are typically conducted on the last Saturday of the month;
• Protocols for collecting will be strictly adhered to and collecting permits must be carried in the field;
• Guidelines for conducting forays can be found in the “Members’ Resources” section of this website.

Note that foray “leaders” do not have to be fungi “experts”. They are volunteers who are willing to check the suggested sites suitability, fill in a “foray proposal” document, organize the foray and report on the findings to the membership at the following meeting. It is normal practice for a short article to be prepared for inclusion in the newsletter and on the website.

One of the goals of the Queensland Mycological Society is to increase the understanding of our local fungi through the collection of accurate data. This may be forthcoming from official forays or data that members collect privately and choose to share with QMS. To ensure that a consistent quality of data is collected, and to allow Collection Permit reports to be written and submitted ( a legislative requirement) we request that you use the field sheets, guidelines and spreadsheet as supplied on the QMS website.

Full documentation for forays will become available to QMS Members online in the near future. Please feel free to contact the QMS committee in the interim.