Collecting Spores for the AFS The Spore Exchange welcomes spore
donations from members and non-members. Any fern species or
variant is much appreciated. Of course, donations that add new
species or update existing species are preferred but any
contribution will be accepted. Please try to collect enough
spores to make three or more packets (approximately 15 cubic
millimeters of cleaned spores, minimum). The other extreme, very
large spore quantities, might fill research needs or allow
possible trading with other fern societies. If you think a fern
is too common or ordinary to donate, it might be just what a
beginner, researcher, or someone in another area is looking for.
Following these guidelines will help avoid some common problems
with donated spores such as unripe or over-ripe spores,
contamination, incorrect identification, and leaking of spores
in transit. For an in-depth treatment on spore collecting,
download How To Collect Fern Spores, an excellent Powerpoint
presentation by the late Barbara Joe 1. If