News & Stories / November 2009 Local Foray On Saturday, 22 November, the Fungus Federation held a local foray. Because Sunset Magazine featured FFSC in it’s November issue and publicized the foray, a larger than usual group was expected and realized. Margaret Carpenter • December 1, 2009 Talk at the Nov 2009 Local Foray. Photo by Margaret Carpenter Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up 2016 February Local Foray Field Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Bedbugs Banished by Beauveria Bassiana Just when those creepy little bloodsuckers seemed to become resistant to all pest control options, in comes the mycological equivalent of Buffy the vampire slayer, Nina Jenkins and colleague Matthew Thomas. Cortinarius • May 12, 2014 Grasshoppers killed by B. bassiana (on wikimedia.org) In truth, the real heroine is an arthropod-killing fungus, Beauveria bassiana . Jenkins and her team are pursuing research and development on a new bio-pesticide utilizing powdered fungal spores of B. bassiana. Initial bioassays show promise. Invading bedbugs marching through the dust appear to be highly susceptible, going belly-up within 6 days. Although this is a novel approach to bed bug infestations, B. bassiana is already in use as a bio-pesticide for termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and some beetles. Nina Jenkins is working at Penn State in the Thomas Lab where her work centers on the development of bio-pesticides derived from fungi. Development includes strategies for mass production of fungal conidia, its enhancement and long term stability. For more, visit [a copy of] the original article: https://web.archive.org/web/20140926020643/http://www.huck.psu.edu/about/news-archive/thomas-bedbug-control/ Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Microscopy of Gilled Mushrooms Could a Stropharia Filter E. Coli Bacteria From Drinking Water? Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Taylor Lockwood's National Geographic Magazine Debut Dear friends -- In the past twenty-five years or so I have been sending major publications some of my best images in hopes of getting them to see mushrooms as nature's art instead of dried up moldy pieces of science. That's o.k. too but I'm going for nature's beauty here. Taylor Lockwood • February 12, 2014 Bioluminescent mushrooms. © Taylor Lockwood It has been very frustrating and I've written letters detailing my thoughts about their aesthetic fungophobia -- but I didn't send them. I decided to take the high road and keep photographing and sending images until there was one to which they could not say "no". My persistence has paid off. In the May, 2014 issue, in their front section, Visions of Earth, National Geographic Magazine is going to feature one of my mushroom photos in a two page spread. To their credit, they picked one of the best mushroom photos of my career -- bioluminescent mushrooms with no other light than from the light of the moon. That image (above) and many more will be in this year's "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall. This is a great day for mushrooms. And, to the many people who have bought my "mushroom items", booked shows, given advice, helped with editing and identifications, provided hospitality as well as other support, this is not just my success; it is your success too. This is not a time to "rest upon laurels". I feel even more charged than before. To that end, I'll be going to Brazil again this Friday and Australia/New Zealand next month. I hope to see you on the "Spirits of the Forest" tour in the fall, Taylor Editor's Note: As of 2026, a photo of the 2-page spread is available in the National Geographic Photographic archive channel (@geoarchive_) on Instagram. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Cam Cam by Taylor Lockwood Bioluminescent Mushrooms from Spirits of the Forest Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Adventures in Austria This summer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join a group of 4 other people to accompany Daniel Winkler on one of his MushRoaming tours. Phil Carpenter • October 16, 2015 Phil with a patch of chanterelles in Austria (2015) If you are unaware of this company, Daniel leads multiple mycological eco-tours to many areas of the world. Check out his website at mushroaming.com . This summer was the first time he organized a trip to his homeland, Munich, Germany. Daniel's family owns a 300+ year old farmhouse (Severenhaus) in St. Johann, a small town in the beautiful Tyrolean Alps a short drive from Munich. Growing up, he spent a lot of time there with his family and developed his interest and knowledge about mushrooms in the spruce and beech forests of the area. After meeting up with the group in Munich and doing some great sightseeing in the ancient capital of Bavaria, we loaded up the rental van and drove to St. Johann through the picturesque Tyrolean Alps. The area is well known for its many ski areas and unique wooden architecture. Our destination was Severenhaus where we were most comfortably housed. A unique feature of this very old but very sturdy building was the low doorways. The bottom of the heavy beams forming the top of the doorway was right at the middle of my forehead, and I’m not a tall person. Needless to say, there were a number of encounters with those most solid beams, especially for the taller people in the group. The Severenhaus was located outside of town at the base of the Niederkaiser, a low limestone mountain range in the shadow of the much taller and more rugged Wilderkaiser range. Of course, as soon as we unloaded our gear, we set off behind the house on our first little mushroom foray. Unfortunately, the area had just experience record high temperatures for a while before we arrived so conditions were pretty dry and few mushrooms were found. Mostly, we found some small Marasmius species. Chanterelles in the Viktualien market in Munich (2015) The next day, however, we drove to an area nearby where there were extensive sphagnum moss beds and notably more moisture. We hit the jackpot there filling our baskets with the small European chanterelles. A “big” one was maybe and inch and a half across, many being smaller. They were certainly tasty, though! Since we ate most of our meals at Severenhaus, we had them fixed in many different dishes. On those occasions when we sampled the very tasty local restaurant cuisine, there were always chanterelle dishes on the menu. They were also found in many of the local open-air markets. Dried boletes in the Viktualien market in Munich (2015) Over the next week, we alternated sight-seeing and collecting forays to various regions in the area. One day we went to Salzburg and visited Mozart’s place of birth as well as the imposing castle high on the central hill. After reaching St. Johann, we had much cooler and rainy weather which was great for the Dried boletes in the Viktualien market in Munich. We did much better towards the end of the trip and were able to put together a species list of nearly 100 species. I was very surprised to find that I was able to not only recognize the mushroom genera but also many species. Daniel had a number of field guides for the area but they were all in German. With Daniel translating and the color photographs for all the mushrooms, we were able to positively identify nearly everything we found. Daniel Winkler with a cluster of Lyophyllum decastes (fried chicken mushrooms) The trip was over much sooner than we’d have liked but we went away having seen the incredibly beautiful scenery of the area, experienced some great habitats and mushroom fruitings, had some long and exhilarating hikes in the steep local mountains, ate some delicious meals, both at restaurants and the Severenhaus, and of course, sampled quite a few of the numerous local beers. I even took the opportunity to visit the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery (Weihenstephan, brewing since 1040!) in Freising, about an hour train ride outside of Munich. I’d like to add that this trip with Daniel was very well organized, relaxed but efficient and thoroughly enjoyable. The group was friendly and of varied and interesting backgrounds. It was a real pleasure to be able to share the Winkler family house in Austria and experience the comfortable feeling of being in a home instead of a hotel. If you have a chance to join Daniel on one of his trips, I highly recommend going! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fair News A Short History of the Fungus Fair At our recent club meeting, Phil Carpenter shared how FFSC and the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair came to be. Here's a video recap of his talk! Vellany Pierce • January 6, 2014 Phil Carpenter gives a short history of FFSC and the Fungus Fair Learn more on our FFSC History page! Come and celebrate the Fair with us at Louden Nelson Center in Santa Cruz this coming weekend: January 10th, 2014: 3-7 Sat 11th, 2014: 10-5 Sun 12th, 2014: 10-5 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

FFSC News & Stories Field reports, member stories, and mushroom-related news, from newest to oldest. (Visit FFSC Events for upcoming club activities.) Cookeina tricholoma (Mont.) Kuntze (2014, Yukatan). Photo by Yev Nyden More Finds Featured Fungi Mushroom Photos Recipes Events of 19 pages Go Go Go Go Go More Finds Featured Fungi Mushroom Photos Events Recipes Fair News FFSC News July 7, 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2027 It's that time again! Submit your entries for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo design contest by 10pm on August 31, 2026. The Grand Prize is $500 plus other perks! Category Writings FFSC News July 3, 2026 Earth Stars — Astreas Hygrometricus I went to Yuba County to hunt for Earth Stars. Although they are curled up and dry during the summer months, they aren’t too hard to find once you find a few older stray ones. The grass isn’t tall and it’s dry as well. Category Mycology & Art News FFSC News June 18, 2026 Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada - 2026 Recap Each spring, the retreat of the snowpack provides a unique ecological window of opportunity for “snowbank fungi”, a group of mushrooms that (as the name suggests) grow in and around snowbanks. As spring gives way to summer, curious mycophiles from around the world gather at a rustic campus in Tahoe National Forest to study these fascinating fungi. Category Writings FFSC News May 20, 2026 FFSC 2026 Ministers Elections-Results Welcome our new slate of FFSC ministers elected at May 19, 2026 general meeting. Category Stewardship FFSC News March 10, 2026 FFSC Bylaws 2026 Revision We are revising our club bylaws. FFSC members are encouraged to review the changes before the April 2026 members meeting. Category Fair News FFSC News January 20, 2026 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair: Our Mission in Action The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz exists to expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology through education; and to assist the public, institutions, and partner organizations in advancing that goal--and keeping the FUN in fungi. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair brought all of these groups together to make high-quality mycological education accessible to thousands of people, while producing real scientific output and supporting local arts, culture and economic development. Category of 19 pages Go Go Go Go Go Filter by Category Fair News Field Reports Mycology & Art News Stewardship Writings Reset

Learn about mushrooms, both deadly and delicious, at the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, brought to you by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. View hundreds of regional species, have your mushroom finds identified, and explore the secrets of the fungal kingdom. Mushrooms fascinate us! They're ubiquitous and mysterious, delicious and sometimes deadly. They're among the oldest living things on earth. Excited to learn more? You might be a fungiphile! Learn About Fungi Explore the World of Fungi Join us as we hunt mushrooms for scientific interest and for the table. Learn to create art with fungi. Spend time outdoors and share your fungi finds with friends! Explore All Events We Keep the "fun" in fungus! Our mission is to foster and expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology among our members and the general public. And to always keep the “fun” in fungus! Why Join FFSC? Previous Next Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz "An eating and drinking club with a mushroom problem" -- Henry Young January 9-11, 2026 Santa Cruz, CA Thanks for visiting! Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Fungus Fair The 2026 Santa Cruz Upcoming FFSC Events August 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM – September 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM Alaska Long-Distance Foray, September 2026 Save the date for our fantastic journey in Alaska! Explore the Alaskan Kenai peninsula and be amazed by the wildlife, fjords, glaciers and of course mushrooms. September 15, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM September Speaker | Liv Fragiacomo : Organic Strawberries - Bio Alternatives to Plastic Join us for our first monthly speaker of the 2026-2027 season! October 20, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM October Speaker | Save the Date : Details TBD Check back at the beginning of the season to learn about our October monthly speaker. Explore All Events Recent News & Stories More Articles Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee July 7, 2026 at 7:46:30 PM Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2027 It's that time again! Submit your entries for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo design contest by 10pm on August 31, 2026. The Grand Prize is $500 plus other perks! Pinned to top Hugh Smith July 3, 2026 at 4:45:00 PM Earth Stars — Astreas Hygrometricus I went to Yuba County to hunt for Earth Stars. Although they are curled up and dry during the summer months, they aren’t too hard to find once you find a few older stray ones. The grass isn’t tall and it’s dry as well. Pinned to top Lisa Tesler June 18, 2026 at 9:13:00 PM Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada - 2026 Recap Each spring, the retreat of the snowpack provides a unique ecological window of opportunity for “snowbank fungi”, a group of mushrooms that (as the name suggests) grow in and around snowbanks. As spring gives way to summer, curious mycophiles from around the world gather at a rustic campus in Tahoe National Forest to study these fascinating fungi. Pinned to top Follow @scfungusfed on Instagram

News & Stories / Field Reports Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray We had a great foray last Saturday on our foray! A big thanks to the all the great folks who participated! Cass Fuentes • January 5, 2015 Craterellus cornucopioides (from another foray). Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup Have you ever wondered what it takes to create the famous "Fungi Forest" each year at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair? Yevgeny Nyden • January 10, 2014 Setting up the island for the 40th Fungus Fair Check out this time lapse video (7 hours condensed into 2 minutes!) of the Island setup for the 2014 Fungus Fair. Now we're just waiting for volunteers to bring in the mushrooms they've found! Wow, that team works fast! Here's general information about the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports A Fruitful Fungal Foray One Sunday afternoon, after an unproductive morning searching all the right spots for mushrooms that weren’t there, I happened to stop... Richard Lyness • January 2, 2010 Rack of Lamb with Hen of the Woods. Photo by Richard Lyness Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Soup Tip – Fried Dried Mushrooms Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Albion I 2009 – A Great Time for All The Albion I foray was attended by 48 wonderful folks, including a first-time contingent of about ten from Russia. This great group of people really know how to work with mushrooms that we tend to kick instead of pick. Richard Rammer • January 2, 2010 Phil with a rare Plungeratus carpenteria verde from Albion. Photo by Lynn Williams Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Albion I, 2010 – A Great Time for All Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Media and Publicity If you're a member of the press or just looking for news about the Fungus Fair, we've collected useful info for you below. Fungus Fair Logo Artwork Members of the press are welcome to download and use these Santa Cruz Fungus Fair art files for publication. Please credit the artists and copyright holders. 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo This year we held a logo design contest focusing on “Underground Wonders: Secrets of the Fungal Kingdom” as the 2026 Fair theme. The winning design was created by Viel Xander Olaguera (@vxolaguera) from Torrance, CA. The logo will be used on this year's T-shirts, posters, and postcards. Plus, several of the other contest entries will be on display during the Fair. The 2026 logo uses the concept of “wood wide web” to emphasize the underground network of fungi that connects our world's plants. The design portrays the following California fungi, selected for their different features (from left to right and down): Zombie-ant fungus ( Ophiocordyceps unilateralis ), growing from its host carpenter ant A lobster mushroom ( Hypomyces lactifluorum ), a parasitic fungus best known as an edible delicacy and for dyeing textiles A King Bolete ( Boletus edulis ), better-known in grocery stores and restaurants as "porcini" Honey fungus ( Armillaria mellea ), a plant pathogen known to arborists as "oak root rot," to the curious for its bioluminescent mycelium, and to others for its subtle nutty and sweet flavor A death cap ( Amanita phalloides ), one of the most poisonous fungi in the world Mycelium, as the "wood wide web" Inspired by the bioluminescence of honey fungus mycelium, the logo on this year's Fungus Fair T-shirt will also glow in the dark! If you use the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo in publications, please include these credits near the image: Artist: Viel Xander Olaguera © Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz Logo You are welcome to include the FFSC logo in news articles, and visit the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History's website for their logo. Example of FFSC Logo Downloads FFSC logo, with full name FFSC-logo-full-transparent_2x .png Download PNG • 845KB FFSC logo, acronym only ffsc-logo-circle-only-transp .png Download PNG • 330KB FFSC logo SVG (small) .svg Download SVG • 201KB 2026 Fungus Fair Poster and Postcard Vector Images (PDF) If you use the poster or postcard images, please include these credits near the image: Logo Artist: Viel Xander Olaguera Poster Layout : Lynn Piquett © Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz 2026 Fair Postcard and Poster .pdf Download PDF • 2.12MB Past Fungus Fair Photos for Publication 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Feel free to download and use any of the images on this page for your articles in conjunction with the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. We ask that you please credit the photographers. Thanks! Past Fungus Fair Posters Check out some of our past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair poster artwork too! Fungus Fair Poster Archive History of the Fungus Fair The Fungus Fair originated in 1974 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, led by the efforts of David Arora, who went on to write “ All That the Rain Promises and More ” and “ Mushrooms Demystified ”, which is widely considered to be one of the best and most comprehensive mushroom guidebooks available. As the Fungus Fair grew, it found new homes throughout the county, including Harvey West Park and London Nelson Community Center. During the pandemic years of 2021-2023, the Fair took on new forms, as the Virtual and Outdoor Fair with a full week of live video lectures plus two weekends of small group, expert guided forays, and the Mini Fungus Fair held at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. In January of 2024 the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz partnered again with the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum to bring the Fungus Fair triumphantly back to the London Nelson Community Center, celebrating the 50th anniversary with our largest event ever. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair will be the 39th Fungus Fair organized by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. Visit the FFSC History page for more about the origins of the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. The Great Hall, at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Press Releases and News 2026 Fair Press Release and Contacts 2026 Fungus Fair_Press Release .pdf Download PDF • 495KB Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in the News On the FFSC Website Fungus Fair News Past News about the Fungus Fair Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz hosts 51st Fungi Fair, KAZU Santa Cruz Fungus Fair returns to the London Nelson Center , Santa Cruz Sentinel The 50th Anniversary Fungus Fair brings mushroom mania to Santa Cruz , KAZU Santa Cruz Fungus Fair celebrates 50 years , KSBW Action News 8 Tom Karwin, On Gardening | Fungus Fair makes its return , Santa Cruz Sentinel Fungus are Among Us , Palo Alto Online Not a Mushroom at the Fungus Fair , City on a Hill Press 46th annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair , KSBW Get to know your mushrooms at Santa Cruz's Fungus Fair , SFGate Santa Cruz Fungus Fair: Mushroom Fun , SFGate A Fungus Fair Fancy , Sunset Magazine Past Fungus Fair Videos Visit the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz YouTube channel (@ffscmedia) for more videos.