September is a great time to look for mushrooms; they seem to pop up overnight with the first cooler rains. Puffballs, stinkhorns, hen of the woods, and more appear throughout the fall. Mushrooms are super important for our ecosystems. As decomposers, they break down dead, organic matter so it doesn't pile up! For September's quest, take a nature walk and see if you can find some mushrooms! Make some observations (where did you find it? What color is it? What shape?) Take a photo, or draw a picture, and see if you can identify what kind of mushroom it is! For help identifying mushrooms, check out the Rhode Island Mycological Society's iNaturalist project, linked below! Send your photos, art and IDs to natureswap.rwpzoo.org for your 5000 points!

Rhode Island Mycological Society · iNaturalist