Conservation

Our mission is to develop a culture of well informed, responsible and ethical stewardship for Kingdom Fungi. We are responsible for developing and sharing ecocentric educational materials grounded in conservation and sustainability best practices. We support and encourage civic action, engagement in scientific inquiry, acts of reciprocity and any other activities, decisions, behaviors and technologies that lead to the protection and or increased understanding of fungi, fungal habitats and ecology.

We hope our mission intrigues you to consider bringing your energy and ideas to this newly formed committee.

Definition of Terms

Environmental Stewardship: the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices

Ecocentrism: valuing nature for its own sake.

Anthropocentrism: valuing nature for the material or physical benefits provided to humans alone.

Conservation: taking steps to prevent further loss of biodiversity.

Sustainability: characterizes the ability of biological systems to remain diverse and productive over time.

Best Practices: From the Stewardship Best Practices Planning Guide, published in 2008: “a program or practice with specific outcomes that has been clearly defined, refined, and evaluated through repeated delivery and supported by a substantial body of research. These practices represent the best knowledge available for use under specified circumstances. It’s important to note that best practices may change over time. They are recommendations based on what has been observed or documented to be effective to date, but which may change given additional experience, evaluation, and research.”

Reciprocity: balanced and mutual exchanges between organisms and between organisms and the environment.

Ecology: the study of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment.