Sunday 5th of May 9.46a.m. Sprinkling after steady light rain o'nite. 13 / 31.5kph SSW, Hg 61%, 16.3C / 61.3F top of 18C / 64F. Rain. Possible heavy falls.
Moon is 13.5%
Dr Helen Robertson says the fungi name Mycena interrupta is easy to remember because they interrupt your walk. (ABC Radio Hobart: Georgie Burgess)
Hunting for Tasmania's weird and wonderful fungi is off to a slow start this season due to the dry weather conditions.
Only the state's dampest pockets have so far been able to put on a show of colourful and diverse fungi.
Autumn fungi hunting is a pastime for many Tasmanians, who rug up and head out on walks to see what they can find and photograph.
Fungi enthusiast Helen Robertson said there was still time for the fungi to flush if decent rainfalls hit the state.
"The best thing is a good 30 or 40 millimetres after a long dry spell," Dr Robertson said.
"Then wait a week and then go and have a look.
"You've got to give them a chance to grow."
Dr Robertson is a retired zoologist who runs a bed and breakfast on her property at Rocky Cape on the state's north west.
She said those wanting to see many fungi would need to go walking on the West Coast and far north west where there has been rain.
"It's been awfully dry in Tasmania this past three years, but this [year has been] particularly dry," she said.
Dr Robertson and her fungi-hunting friend Pat Harrison recently went searching near the Trowutta Arch in the north-west corner.
"We found over 70 species all in perfect condition," she said.
"So where there's been decent rain, the fungi are there.
"But where I am on my property, I took my guests for a wander around [on Monday] and I didn't see a single one."
Dr Robertson said Tasmania was "fungi central for the world".
"Elsewhere can have a lot of a particular fungi but here we have the diversity, just thousands of different species everywhere you look."
Moon is 13.5%
Tasmania's fungi season off to slow start, but when rain comes here are some species to look out for
21 hours ago
Dr Helen Robertson says the fungi name Mycena interrupta is easy to remember because they interrupt your walk. (ABC Radio Hobart: Georgie Burgess)
Hunting for Tasmania's weird and wonderful fungi is off to a slow start this season due to the dry weather conditions.
Only the state's dampest pockets have so far been able to put on a show of colourful and diverse fungi.
Autumn fungi hunting is a pastime for many Tasmanians, who rug up and head out on walks to see what they can find and photograph.
Fungi enthusiast Helen Robertson said there was still time for the fungi to flush if decent rainfalls hit the state.
"The best thing is a good 30 or 40 millimetres after a long dry spell," Dr Robertson said.
"Then wait a week and then go and have a look.
"You've got to give them a chance to grow."
Dr Robertson is a retired zoologist who runs a bed and breakfast on her property at Rocky Cape on the state's north west.
She said those wanting to see many fungi would need to go walking on the West Coast and far north west where there has been rain.
"It's been awfully dry in Tasmania this past three years, but this [year has been] particularly dry," she said.
Dr Robertson and her fungi-hunting friend Pat Harrison recently went searching near the Trowutta Arch in the north-west corner.
"We found over 70 species all in perfect condition," she said.
"So where there's been decent rain, the fungi are there.
"But where I am on my property, I took my guests for a wander around [on Monday] and I didn't see a single one."
Dr Robertson said Tasmania was "fungi central for the world".
"Elsewhere can have a lot of a particular fungi but here we have the diversity, just thousands of different species everywhere you look."
