Why do we make collections? The science of studying mushrooms.

Andrew Wilson is the Associate Curator of Mycology in the Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi at Denver Botanic Gardens. His research studies the patterns and processes that shape mushroom diversity, where he has traveled the world to document and describe new species. As a curator he is an advocate for fungaria (e.g., museums for fungi) and works closely with other curators and managers of macrofungal collections to elevate their value for research. He also works closely with amateur mycological societies and events (NAMA, CMS, FunDiS, Telluride Mushroom Festival, etc.) to advise and promote collecting mushrooms for science. In Colorado he is actively working to better understand the diversity of mushrooms in Rocky Mountain forest ecosystems.