January 10, 2023

We had a great time working with local Girl Scouts to plant native seeds that will be planted in greenspaces around Loveland in order to regenerate biodiversity! We planted large flowered trillium (Ohio’s state wildflower), wild leek (a.k.a. ramps), and wild potato vine (a native morning glory). Each species is threatened in Loveland and the surrounding region. Large flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is absent in Loveland. Given this spring wildflower was once found in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, it is sad that none can be found in our community. Love Our Land plans to change that and will bring them back to our forests. Wild leek (Allium tricoccum) is a highly sought after native onion that generations of people before us here in Loveland would seek out and harvest. These edibles are particularly sparse in Loveland’s forests, so, Love Our Land and our partners intend to increase their numbers. Hopefully this can one day lead to Loveland residents searching for and collecting the leaves for themselves. Finally, the wild potato vine (Ipomoea pandurata) is a native vine that grows along forest edges and other open habitats. Unfortunately, this native morning glory is relatively uncommon in Loveland with only a few noteworthy sites. The morning glory turret bee (Melitoma taurea), a native solitary ground-nesting bee, uses pollen of the vine to feed its babies. Without this vine this bee cannot exist. Due to the loss of habitats that support wild potato vine, the morning glory turret bee is imperiled and likely to be added to the Endangered Species list in the future. Love Our Land is working with our partners—Girls Scouts and The Grail—to grow these vines and increase and improve habitat so that bees like the morning glory turret bee can thrive alongside our community. A seed of wild potato vine can be seen in picture above–I think they look a tad like @berniesanders, lol. Thanks to Erin Campbell—one of Love Our Land’s newest advisory board members—for making today’s planting happen!

Doug says, “Take some time to stop and smell the mushrooms.”

I am a HUGE advocate for not only spending time immersed in nature, but also slowing down and really soaking in the environment. To know and appreciate an area this includes observing the living organisms you encounter in the process. Of the three kingdoms of life—plantae, animalia, and fungi— we most often knowingly encounter in southwest Ohio, fungi, including mushrooms, tend to be the most overlooked., and, to some extent, it makes sense. While a towering oak or majestic stag may easily catch our eye, mushrooms can be inconspicuous and elusive, only being found by those actively searching for them (and sometimes not even by them—just ask a “morel hunter”). For those who do foray and/or forage for mushrooms, they can tell you how truly remarkable these species can be. Additionally, while most mushrooms may hide away and prove challenging to find, there are some, such as the red (orange in eastern North America) and white spotted fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), that are vibrantly colored, easily spotted, and have a rich history in many cultures.

One consequence of our turning a blind eye to fungi is that we fail to adopt rules and guidelines to protect and conserve them and their habitats. Additionally, this means mushrooms are understudied and under documented, including here in Ohio. Currently, mushroom experts believe we’re in a period in which a large number and diversity of species will be discovered and described for the first time. For this reason, among others, Love Our Land has created the Ohio Mushroom DNA Sequencing Initiative (OMDSI) to help raise awareness regarding Ohio’s mushrooms and their conservation statuses and discover and describe new species. Why is this project important? The OMDSI catalogues genetics of Ohio’s mushrooms shedding light on their diversity and status which will give researchers, agencies, and policymakers important information needed to protect and conserve this vastly misunderstood kingdom. Love Our Land’s board member, Kyle Canan, is managing the project and leading the collection efforts and processing of specimens. He has worked hard to get the OMDSI to where it is today. While in its infancy, the OMDSI has already yielded incredible discoveries, including some right here in Loveland. Here are three of many fascinating finds from the past few months:

·       The first ever record of an albino Pluteus granularis found near Portsmouth, Ohio; confirmed by a mycologist that specializes in this genus of mushrooms

·       New species of Inocybe found near Greenville, Ohio by Kyle; because this is a previously undescribed species, Kyle has given it a provisional name the species can be scientifically described, which is something Kyle intends to do

·       I found this an undescribed species of Amanita found in Loveland, Ohio; prior to this record, this species has only ever been observed in Indiana

Currently, Love Our Land is raising funds to purchase new equipment that will allow us to process a greater number of samples more efficiently for less cost per sample. This new equipment will also eliminate our current need to send extracted genetic samples to a lab. By processing more samples in a shorter period of time Love Our Land can make significant contributions to the mycological (mushroom science) community and mushroom conservation. Would you like to help mushrooms? Head to our GoFundMe project “Ohio Mushroom DNA Sequencing Initiative”—just search “Love Our Land” on GoFundMe’s website—and donate today. If you have any questions related to the OMDSI or mushrooms, feel free to email Kyle (kyle@loveourland.org) or Doug (doug@loveourland.org). Mush love! <3 

www.LoveOurLand.org