Public Engagement

Stakeholders of mushroom phorid fly research not only include the mushroom industry, but also include the communities experiencing mushroom fly invasions.  Affected residents are important stakeholders that require support and regular engagement.  we regularly interact with residents on Phorid Fly Community, a facebook group dedicated to sharing information about mushroom fly invasions.  We host Phorid Fly Action Council meetings to communicate directly with residents affected by phorid fly invasions.  We also attend township meetings to interact with as many residents as we can.  Residents are also able to call the Mushroom Fly Hotline (contact information below) to report invasions and discuss mitigation techniques.  In rare cases,  visit residences to observe fly behavior and invasion severity.  Finally, I host an annual public webinar to share my most recent findings with the community.

We also create resources to inform residents about mushroom fly invasions.  Public webinars are available to view anytime, and we also create bilingual fact sheets for residents to download.  These resources are available on the Penn State Extension website (see Resources below).