How do you get it done? Our work starts with collections— specimens that we collect during the survey part of fieldwork as well as specimens housed in the Field Museum and other institutions. Specimens, and their related data on where and when they were collected, what plants they were associated with, and their ecology, tell us a lot about the species history and biology. Samples are collected either “opportunistically”, meaning that we search over a broad area collecting whatever we come across, or “quantitatively” through plot-based sampling, where a relatively small defined area is marked out and then sampled over several years. Once a specimen is found, the location is noted using a Global Positioning System device and the species is photographed with a digital camera. The information regarding where the species was found, what its host plant was, and its description are entered into a database on a laptop computer. Small pieces of specimens are also preserved for future DNA studies. We also sometimes try to get certain species into culture so that they can be grown in the laboratory for additional types of research (growth studies, attempts to form ectomycorrhizae with various trees in the greenhouse, etc.). The mushrooms are then warm-air dried and packed into a plastic bag for transport back to the museum for further study. continue >>