LEO Network

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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

An extended fall reveals the existence of hair ice in Interior Alaska
Photos from Fairbanks show delicate “hair ice” forming on dead wood during an extended snow-free cold spell. Researchers link the phenomenon to the fungus Exidiopsis effusa, which enables hairlike ice strands to grow in humid, slightly subfreezing conditions.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Fast-spreading fungus deadly to endangered butternut trees attacking 3 areas of P.E.I.
Butternut canker, a fast‑spreading fungal disease with no known cure, has been detected in multiple locations on Prince Edward Island; Islanders are urged to take precautions to limit spread.
Charlottetown and Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada
CBC News
Delaney Kelly (with files from Jackie Sharkey)

Danish find worries researchers: Asian fungus could take over Swedish forests
Researchers warn that the Asian edible fungus 'citronmussling' may spread in Swedish forests and outcompete native species.
Skåne, Skåne, Sweden
SVT Nyheter

The glaciers in Finnmark are melting the fastest of Norway's glaciers
The glaciers in Finnmark, particularly the Øksfjordjøkelen, are melting rapidly, with significant shrinkage observed each year, raising concerns about climate change impacts.
Øksfjordjøkelen, Loppa, Finnmark
NRK
Kristina Brekke, Hanne Larsen, Bent Lindsetmo, Kai Erik Bull, Vanja Ulfsnes

Snow Mold
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Unusual tree fungus?
"I don’t recall seeing anything like this before."
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Unknown plant or fungus observed in cottonwood log
Nobody I have asked has seen any plant like this. I touched it soon after the picture and it turned into a maroon colored powder.
Lower Yukon

Strange eggs observed in grass
Unidentfied deposits or growth was observed covering plant in Larsen Bay.
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States
Brandie Radigan, Teresa Carlson, Derek Sikes

Peculiar orange fungus on juniper bushes
"Returning from a walk with the dog I was struck by a mass of bizarre fire orange fungus tentacles covering all the stems of some low lying juniper bushed in our driveway. This is the first time I have seen it in 21 years of living here with the same juniper bushes."
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada
Jessie Moan, Cody Thomas, Shona Thorne, David Oswald

Red rust on endemic roses
My unprofessional opinion is that climate change is affecting these endemic roses and that they are in peril.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Arbutus trees under stress on Gabriola Island
In early April I observed what appears to be widespread disease of Arbutus trees (Arbutus menziesii) on the island. Leaf blight is a known factor affecting Arbutus trees; but I wonder if other factors such as climate change may also be contributing to what is perceived as a general decline of the species.
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Growth on Window After Storm
Tatitlek, Alaska, United States

Large landslides have passed in Alta
One person was evacuated and brought to safety after the landslide at Kråkneset in Alta municipality. A total of eight buildings were swept to the sea in the 650-metre landslide. Due to a high avalanche risk, police have still not entered the area.
Kråkenes, Alta, Norway
NRK
Sofie Dege Dimmen, Ida Loise Rostad, Idun Aalbu Rasmussen, Jo Hermstad Tronsen

The coffins should be safely in the permafrost – now more emergency need to be excavated
Permafrosten på Svalbard kunne gitt dem evig liv. Men nå er historien til hundrevis av hvalfangere i ferd med å tine bort.
Likneset, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK

Erosion and Weird Growth on Tundra
An unidentified fungus is growing along the eroding coastal bank.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Laurel wilt in camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) tree?
"Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual."
North Sarasota, Florida, United States
Jeffrey Eickwort, Jono Miller, Jessie Moan

Moldy fish in an Alaskan river threaten a community’s food supply
In early October 2013, local fishers Eli Nukapigak and Edward Nukapigak Jr. alerted wildlife officials to the discovery of “sick fish” in their nets near Nuiqsut. The aanaakłiq had fuzzy grayish-white patches on their bodies, fins, and heads. Cottony masses almost covered the eyes of some fish. None of the fishers in the community recalled seeing this condition before.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Hakai Magazine

Dead and dying salal plants ‘everywhere’ along the coast
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
My Campbell River Now

Disappearance of Tundra Ponds
Kettle ponds in Denali National Park contain less water this spring than in previous years, due to low snowfall and permafrost thaw. Shrubs are replacing grasses as the lakes dry.
McKinley Park, Alaska, United States
Scott Richardson, Katie Spellman, Richard L Thoman Jr

Salal plant dying across Vancouver Island
Hikers across Vancouver Island say they've been finding entire forests with dying salal. No one knows why it's dying but the ramifications could be serious.
Menzies Mountain, Vancouver Island, Canada
CHEK

Warning issued after toxic death cap mushrooms found in Greater Victoria
The highly toxic death cap mushroom, responsible for the death of a Victoria toddler in 2016, has already been found growing in Greater Victoria, much earlier than expected.
Cedar Hill Golf Course, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Almost every part of Canada’s largest national park is deteriorating
The report on Wood Buffalo National Park says industry, dams, climate change and natural cycles are sucking the lifeblood from the vast delta of northeastern Alberta's Peace and Athabasca rivers
Wood Buffalo National Park
National Post

What is Eating Garry Oak (Quercus garryana) Leaves?
Mount Tolmie, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Warning about Death Cap mushrooms in Victoria and Vancouver
There is a warning from Island Health about a poisonous mushroom known as the "Death Cap", which has been spotted in residential areas near Victoria.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
NEWS 1130

Death cap mushrooms popping up early in Uplands
The potentially fatal death cap mushrooms that killed a three-year-old boy last year are popping up early in Uplands. The mushroom, known by the scientific name Amanita phalloides, was discovered.
Ripon Road, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Death cap mushrooms beginning to return to Victoria
A mycologist said the Amanita phalloides has sprouted up in Victoria again.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Potentially fatal death cap mushrooms spotted in Victoria neighbourhood
Island Health confirms the fungus, known scientifically as Amanita phalloides, has already flowered in Uplands this July.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Newly found disease could threaten Southeast Alaska spruce
A fungus that’s damaged trees in Southcentral and Interior Alaska has been discovered for the first time in Southeast. But there’s a chance its spread could be stopped.
Shrine of St. Terese, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Possible new invasive species discovered in Juneau
There’s a new, probably non-native, invasive species in town, just discovered in late June. It’s a disease-causing fungus (*Gemmamyces piceae*) that afflicts spruce buds, often killing them altogether but sometimes just causing deformed buds and twigs.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Plant Health and Condition
The leaves, in general, don't look too healthy. They seem to lack vitality and are shriveled in many places.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States
Gino Graziano, Jessie Moan, Wilson Justin

Poisonous Mushroom in Iceland
It has recently been confirmed that a poisonous mushroom, by the name of Steinkrympill has found its way to Iceland.
Laugarvatn, South, Iceland
Iceland Review

Potential Indicators of White-nose Syndrome in Bat Sighting
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Amazon Deforestation, Once Tamed, Comes Roaring Back
"A decade after the “Save the Rainforest” movement captured the world’s imagination, Cargill and other food giants are pushing deeper into the wilderness."
Coari, Amazonas, Brazil
HIROKO TABUCHI, CLAIRE RIGBY and JEREMY WHITE

Slime Mold (Myxomycetes) on Lawn
Wet causes unusual growth.

So Many Mushrooms
Golovin ponders fungus bloom
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Early Mushrooms
Weeks earlier than normal.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Yellow Fungus (Phragmidium) on Wild Rose and other Plants

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) causes suppression of Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Great Year for Mushrooms
This has been a great year for the mushrooms

This 'incredibly alien' fungus isn't as scary as you might think
CBC reporter Kaitie Fraser spotted this strange jelly-like substance in her aunt's backyard, growing on a cedar tree. In fact, her aunt said, when she first saw it, it looked like orange flowers at a distance. But when she started to approach it, it looked more like clumps of gummy bears.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Local finds giant puffball mushroom
What is 30 lbs, 26 inches around and white all over? Your next meal, or ten meals, or twenty.   Calvatia gigantea, or giant puffballs, typically ranges from the size of a mini marshmallow to a soccer ball. The largest record of a giant puffball had a circumference of eight feet & eight inches and weighed 48 lbs.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

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