We would like to see what types of molds and yeasts are present in the camping area and then to see if there is a health benefit of living in a "clean" area such as Clean out Loud compared to the "normal" camping areas. We expect to see a difference in the amount of fungal spores and therefore the project will be to make the festival-goers aware that it is a good idea to keep camps and tents clean throughout the week.
We hope to be able to engage people and create an interest for microorganisms like fungi, by showing them how fungi appear, what they can and where they are, even when you cannot see them. Therefore, we will ask festival-goers to collect samples in their tents and camps, and show them how much fungus can grow in just a single week.
On the sampling day (Monday) we will walk around the camping areas with a handcart decorated with pictures and exciting knowledge about fungi. We will bring agar plates, which we will issue to the participants who are then told how to perform the test so they can be used for real scientific studies.
It is important to us that we also show how exciting and usable molds and yeasts can be by providing information on both positive and negative characteristics of fungi. On Saturday we are hosting a contest where you can vote on the best looking sample.
