Cryptic Wonders | Enchanting Slime Moulds & Other Hidden Gems

Slime moulds, despite their unfortunate name, invariably impress people when they see the beauty and intricacy of the miniscule fruiting bodies and learn about their intriguing life cycle – at their plasmodial stage they move about and feed and they can even find their way through a maze! This exhibition will reveal a mostly hidden world that was discovered in 2010 when a local naturalist started searching for slime moulds and is now collaborating with overseas researchers about species unknown to science.

Renowned wildlife biologist, Dr Sally Bryant AM will open the exhibition at the Westbury Town Hall at 2pm on 10 August. This will be followed by a talk by Sarah Lloyd OAM who will describe slim moulds (myxomycetes) – what they are, their ecological roles and how the forest at Birralee is becoming known as a world hotspot. Her field work and microscopic examination of over 163 species, coupled with genetic sequencing by collaborators in Germany, Ukraine, Spain, and Switzerland are revealing the richness of the forest near Westbury, with one new genus (Tasmaniomyxa umbilicata), 4 new species, and many more yet to be scientifically described. This talk will be repeated at 7pm on 14 August.

Large format photographs of slime mould fruiting bodies and their microscopic details feature in the exhibition. A selection of specimens that Sarah has collected in labelled boxes will be displayed alongside images that reveal their details. Microscopes will be available to view specimens.

‘Biodiversity Panels’ depicting fungi, ferns, mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, mosses, insects, spiders, and plants will be displayed with a brief overview of their biology and ecological roles. Material relating to bandicoots and responsible cat ownership will build on the work being done by the local group, Westbury Backyard Bandicoots.