Record fungi in the field with your phone’s camera and GPS. Here’s how to create an observation in the app.
1. Add Photos
- Tap the Observe button in the centre of the tab bar.
- Tap Take Photo to use your camera or Gallery to choose from your library. You can mix both.
- Add up to 7 photos. The first becomes the main image.
The app resizes and converts your photos automatically, including iPhone HEIC photos.
2. The Observation Form
The New Observation form opens. If your photos contain location and date information, these are filled in for you. Tap Change photos if you want to go back.
Identify the Fungus
Tap the fungus field and start typing a scientific, genus or common name, then choose a match. Genus-level options are marked GENUS. If you enter an older name (a synonym), it’s saved under the accepted name.
Date
Check the date and time. It’s filled in from your photos where possible.
Location
- Tap Current to use your GPS position. This is best at the site.
- Tap Pick on Map to choose the spot yourself.
- You can also add a what3words address.
Location Privacy
Choose Open, Obscured or Private for this observation. It starts as your default. See Understanding Geoprivacy.
Habitat, Substrate and Associates
Choose the Habitat and Substrate, and use Select Associates to pick the trees it was growing with.
Notes and Certainty
Add anything the photos can’t show in Notes, such as smell, taste or spore print colour, and choose how sure you are: Certain, Likely or Possible.
3. Submit
Submit the observation. The upload can take a moment with several large photos. Once it’s saved, it appears in Your Observations and on the website.
Tips for Recording in the Field
- Record at the site for the most accurate GPS position.
- Take several photos: the top, underside, stem base and habitat.
- Note things that change: smell, texture and colour change after picking.
- No signal? Take your photos anyway and record the observation later. The location and date are read from your photos.