Methodology & Safety
Understanding the data behind GFF, how it is collected and processed, and critical safety information about wild fungi.
Critical Safety Warning
GFF is an educational analytics tool, not a mushroom identification or consumption guide.
Never eat wild fungi unless identification has been confirmed by a qualified expert. Many edible species have toxic or deadly lookalikes. Misidentification can result in serious illness or death.
Observation trends shown in this dashboard do not guarantee species presence, safety, legality, or edibility at any location. Data reflects community reporting patterns, not guaranteed ecological conditions.
Exact foraging locations are intentionally not displayed to reduce ecological pressure and protect community-submitted observation data.
Data Source
Primary: iNaturalist community science platform
API: api.inaturalist.org/v1/observations
Scope: Georgia, USA (place_id=23)
Taxa: Fungi (iconic_taxa=Fungi)
Quality: Verifiable observations including research grade and needs_id
Species Registry: 81 curated species (77 edible, 46 medicinal, 42 overlap)
Processing Pipeline
Privacy Protection
All geographic data is aggregated to county level only.
Exact latitude/longitude coordinates are never exposed in the dashboard.
This prevents revealing sensitive foraging locations and reduces ecological pressure on popular sites.
Observer usernames and personal information are not stored or displayed.
Data Limitations & Bias
Observation bias: Data reflects where and when people report, not absolute species abundance or distribution.
Urban bias: Metro areas may have higher observation counts due to more users, not more fungi.
Seasonal bias: Weekend and holiday observations spike independent of ecology.
ID accuracy: Some observations may have incorrect identifications.
Species Registry
The registry contains 81 unique species curated with local fungi community knowledge.
77 edible species — confirmed as traditionally consumed with proper identification.
46 medicinal species — recognized for traditional or research-backed medicinal properties.
42 species overlap — classified as both edible and medicinal.
Edible classification does NOT mean safe for beginners. All wild fungi require expert verification.
Credits & Acknowledgments
Project Owner: Darling Ngoh / Hikes of Georgia / Ecological Data Alliance
Data Source: iNaturalist community science platform and its contributing observers
Registry Knowledge: Developed with input from the local Georgia fungi community
Community Partners: Mushroom Club of Georgia, Georgia conservation partners
Contact: [email protected] — inquiries, partnerships, and data collaboration welcome.
Observation data is used under iNaturalist's terms of service. This platform does not claim ownership of community-submitted data.
Support This Project
GFF is a free, one-person effort. If this platform has been useful to you, consider supporting its continued development.
DonateSafety Disclaimer
GFF is an educational analytics tool, not a mushroom identification or consumption guide. Never eat wild fungi unless identification has been confirmed by a qualified expert. Observation trends do not guarantee presence, safety, legality, or edibility. Exact foraging locations are intentionally not displayed to reduce ecological pressure.