Haha - I often imagine what it would be like to find a new species, but then I am reminded by research of the immense scrutiny placed on fungal identification for the last hundred years or so.

Actually though, the chances of discovering a new species increase proportionally with your distance from known hot beds of mycologicaly study. New York city and Long Island have been put through the observational ringer for generations - but if you live in a remote area and are diligent and consistent, you could well find something new.

Now, it is unlikely to be extraordinarily, explosive looking in its newness. But it might nonetheless be an unclassified species.

Now, if you go down the rabbit hole further and study local myxomycetes, or slime molds, then the chances of finding a new species - or at least a new ecology - skyrocket relatively speaking. But more on that next week!