22 Jahre Pilzkundliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft im Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein Karlsruhe e. V. (PiNK)

The Mycology Group of Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein Karlsruhe e. V. (PiNK) was founded in 2003 and currently has around 30 active members who are involved in a variety of ways in collaboration with the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe. This includes numerous public events such as the annual two-day mushroom exhibition, weekly mushroom identification service in autumn, lectures, mycological excursions, press releases, and much more. In total, the events were attended by around 31,500 visitors and have raised public awareness of fungi as an important, ecologically significant and also a worthy group of organisms that deserves protection. The mycology group also participates in a museum research project (“Urban fungi of Karlsruhe”) and provides specimens for the public fungus herbarium at the Natural History Museum. The 22 years of PiNK activities from 2003 to 2024 are described and summarized.