2024 Speaker Schedule

A brilliant lineup of speakers joined us for the 50th Santa Cruz Fungus Fair.

You can also browse the list of speakers for the 2024 Fair, and visit their bios.

Mushroom Cooking Tips and Techniques

Chef Bob Wynn

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Friday, January 12, 2024

2:15 PM

3:15 PM

Room 1

Friday

Mushrooms of Sea Islands, Sky Islands, & Dry Islands

Christian Schwarz

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The theory of island biogeography serves as an ideal starting point in understanding broader patterns of dispersal, extinction, and adaptation.

Friday, January 12, 2024

2:30 PM

3:30 PM

Room 3

Friday

Introduction to mushroom identification (Session I)

Phil Carpenter

...

Always a popular topic, Phil will give this talk 3 times during the weekend.

Friday, January 12, 2024

3:30 PM

4:30 PM

Room 1

Friday

A Multi-Generational Hobby

Melany Kahn

...

An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and…

Saturday, January 13, 2024

10:30 AM

11:30 AM

Room 1

Saturday

The Magic Mushroom Class

Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac

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Discover the healing benefits of psilocybin fungi as spiritual guides, as an ego dissolver to help access traumatic events, and the roots…

Saturday, January 13, 2024

10:30 AM

12:00 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Mushroom Bioregions of The United States

Christian Schwarz

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In this talk, we'll explore broad bioregions of the United States from the perspective of mushrooms (which sometimes align with bioregions of…

Saturday, January 13, 2024

12:30 PM

1:30 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Family friendly Kid's Interactive Mushroom Cooking Demo

Melany Kahn

...

How to cook a mushroom for the non-mushroom lover in your life, with humor and a lot of butter.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

1:30 PM

2:30 PM

Room 1

Saturday

Medicinal Mushrooms - Traditional Usage and Modern Science (Saturday)

Dr. Bill Schoenbart

...

This talk will review the traditional functions and indications of turkey tail, reishi, and lion's mane, and we will discuss clinical studies…

Saturday, January 13, 2024

2:00 PM

3:00 PM

Room 3

Saturday

The top ten edible and poisonous wild mushrooms.

Douglas Smith

...

Saturday, January 13, 2024

2:45 PM

3:45 PM

Room 1

Saturday

Introduction to mushroom cultivation

Vellany Pierce

...

Saturday, January 13, 2024

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

Room 1

Saturday

Exploring the Unknown: Cryptic Mushroom Diversity In Your Backyard

Noah Siegel

...

California has an extremely diverse 'mycoflora', with over 4,000 species of macro fungi documented. Modern taxonomical tools have shown that this is…

Saturday, January 13, 2024

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

Room 3

Saturday

Introduction to Mushroom Identification (Session II)

Phil Carpenter

...

Always a popular topic, Phil will give this talk 3 times during the weekend.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

10:30 AM

11:30 AM

Room 1

Sunday

Medicinal Mushrooms - Traditional Usage and Modern Science (Sunday)

Dr. Bill Schoenbart

...

This talk will review the traditional functions and indications of turkey tail, reishi, and lion's mane, and we will discuss clinical studies…

Sunday, January 14, 2024

10:30 AM

12:00 PM

Room 3

Sunday

Intro to Mushroom Identification (Session III)

Phil Carpenter

...

Always a popular topic, Phil will give this talk 3 times during the weekend.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

Room 1

Sunday

Montane Biomes on the Brink

Thea Chesney

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Exploration of various at-risk ecosystems in California's mountains from a fungal perspective, informed by the work of the California Fungal Diversity Survey…

Sunday, January 14, 2024

12:30 PM

1:30 PM

Room 3

Sunday

A Multi-Generational Hobby

Melany Kahn

...

An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and…

Sunday, January 14, 2024

1:30 PM

2:30 PM

Room 1

Sunday

Mushrooms, Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

Chef Chad Hyatt

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Chad will be demonstrating some of his favorite wild mushroom cooking techniques and recipes, with several samples to taste.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

2:00 PM

3:30 PM

Room 3

Sunday

Mushroom Cultivation: Passive and Active Systems

Kyle Garrone

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Passive and active systems-Kyle will discuss different methods of using the natural environment and appropriate technologies to maximize yields and efficiencies. Applicable…

Sunday, January 14, 2024

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

Room 1

Sunday

California: Land of the Year Round Mushroom Forage

Noah Siegel

...

From wet coastal forests to high mountains, California has varied habitats. Because of this, you have the ability to hunt mushrooms year…

Sunday, January 14, 2024

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

Room 3

Sunday