SPUN Updates

Over the last three months, we have been working with local collaborators to sample fungi from the world’s driest desert to the dense, humid rainforests and tropical coastlines of West Africa. Also, we are growing our team at SPUN. See all the new roles listed at the bottom of the newsletter, and consider applying.

As COP28 begins, let’s keep the focus on fungi and put belowground biodiversity on center stage. We have exciting updates to share from the last three months, including sampling for fungi under ancient trees, an upcoming desert field research project, and a beautiful short film.

It’s been a busy few months in the underground. There has been exciting progress in recognizing the role of fungi in restoration as well as expeditions to some of the most remote ecosystems on Earth.

2023 has already been busy for SPUN. The team rang in the new year sampling soils together with Dr. Peter Chatanga, Dr. Sebolelo Molete, and Dr. Liteboho Maduna in the mountains of Lesotho, we announced the winners of the Underground Explorers grants, and we are working on exciting new tools that will help us identify the underground ecosystems most under threat.

This November marks one year since SPUN’s inception, when we launched the mission to Protect The Underground. Here are some key updates since the last newsletter.

This is the first newsletter for the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Our aim is to keep you up to date with emerging science, expedition activity, grant opportunities, and ways to stay involved.