Monthly Speakers

Fungal Curation and Novel Discoveries in Santa Cruz County Watch part 2 of Reagan's Talk It will showcase several of Reagan’s observations from the past year that had never been recorded in Santa Cruz country. Reagan Peschke is a naturalist and undergraduate at UCSC studying creative writing. Before moving to Santa Cruz, Reagan had almost no exposure to the world of fungi. But during her first winter on campus in 2023, she couldn’t resist taking photos of the colorful waxy caps on the paths between her classes. What started as an interest in photography blossomed into a deep, all-consuming passion for studying, documenting and collecting fungi. Over the past year and a half, Reagan has made nearly 5,000 observations of fungi. She started her own fungarium with more than 600 vouchered samples from across the United States. Reagan leads an internship at the UCSC Kenneth S. Norris Center where she oversees the management of thousands of fungal specimens and she teaches students how to curate fungi. She was also a teaching assistant for the Natural History of Fungi at UCSC led by Christian Schwarz. When she’s not in the field collecting fungi or giving guest lectures, she’s helping people identify mushrooms on platforms like iNaturalist. Reagan hopes to explore the intersection between her passions for writing and fungi by becoming a scientific communicator and publishing field guides.

Working with Microscope to Observe and ID Fungi Working with a microscope to observe and identify fungi is both an art and a science, requiring patience, precision, and a keen eye for detail. By preparing fresh or dried specimens, mounting them on slides with appropriate stains or reagents, and carefully adjusting magnification and lighting, one can reveal the intricate structures that define fungal species—such as spores, hyphae, cystidia, and basidia. Understanding these microscopic features is crucial for accurate identification, often differentiating species that appear nearly identical to the naked eye. With experience, the process becomes a rewarding exploration, unveiling the hidden beauty and complexity of the fungal world. Dr. Brian A. Perry is a Professor of Biology at California State University East Bay, and Director of the HAY Fungarium. He received his Master's Degree from San Francisco State University under the guidance of Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University where he studied with Dr. Donald H. Pfister. Brian has been studying fungi since 1995, and has published over 45 papers in scientific journals. In addition to studying the evolution of fungal bioluminescence, he also conducts research on mushrooms and other fungi of Vanuatu, the assembly and biogeography of island fungal communities, endophytic fungi, and the systematics of Mycena and allied genera. Brian teaches several mycology courses at Cal State East Bay and the Sierra Nevada Field Campus.

Learn about the nutritional value of mushrooms and the health effects they can have on your body, from cancer preventive properties to blood sugar management to health of your microbiome and more. Mushrooms are packed with nutrition and surprising elements. Join this educational and fun talk to learn about mushrooms and how they relate to your nutrition.

The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen Since we're in the heart of the Spring mushroom season in California, Chad will be focusing this talk on some of his favorite Spring mushrooms and techniques for cooking them. Chad Hyatt is a classically trained chef. He spent more than a decade cooking in restaurants and private clubs around the San Francisco Bay Area, where he now works as a freelance chef focused on private events. He spends his free time hunting for and learning about mushrooms, along with seeking out new techniques and traditional ethnic recipes to apply to them. Chad frequently demos and teaches wild mushroom cookery at private and public events throughout the United States, does wild mushroom pop-up dinners, and in late 2018, released an innovative wild mushroom cookbook, The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen. https://www.themushroomhunterskitchen.com/