Afrifungi team members Melinda Dunnett and Matthew Keulemans were guest presenters at the FABI Monday Morning Meeting on 29 July. Afrifungi presented on their operations that seeks to engage community mushroom growers and educate people on cultivating their own mushrooms, while also being committed to fostering a deeper understanding of fungi’s role in ecological balance and human well-being. Their commercial operation specializes in Shiitake log culture, spawn production, and the creation of sustainable novel myco-materials including biodegradable pots for seedlings, wall panels with noise damping qualities and even lamp shades. They are also actively engaged in citizen science and community engagement through training programs and workshops that empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to harness the benefits of mycology and successfully enter the commercial mushroom cultivation industry. More recently, they have become actively engaged in establishing agroforests, which are far more robust and resilient than traditional forms of agriculture. 

FABI MSc student Bertus van Rooy, also presented on the work and plans of the Mycological Society of South Africa. This Society seeks to characterize various basidiomycetes from the sub-Saharan Africa region and gather sequencing data on these fungi through collaboration. The Society currently has a WhatsApp group to communicate with its members but is planning to have a dedicated website in the near future.