News & Stories / Field Reports Echo Summit 2015 Foray Report Another great Echo Summit Foray is in the history books. Anne Stockel • September 21, 2015 Lisa finds a Ganoderma tsugae (North American Hemlock Reishi) at Echo Summit (2015) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2013 Echo Summit Foray Recap Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / January 2016 Field Report Although soggy, there was a fair selection of fleshy fungi to be observed. Notably, a couple of lucky folks went home with a basket of candy caps, and a mushroom-dyeing enthusiast went home with a nice clump of jack-o-lanterns! Cass Fuentes • January 24, 2016 Hypholoma fasciculare (Sulfur tuft) at a Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Photo by Larry Volpe Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2016 February Local Foray Field Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Mushroom Photo Exhibition An exhibition of Barbara Cordes' amazing fungal photography is on now at Odonata Winery Tasting Room . Deb • March 10, 2014 Odonata winery glass (from odonatawines.com). The exhibition is at 2343 Mission St. in Santa Cruz, March 6th-30th, 2014. I stopped in and I'll tell you, it was such a treat to see all the nice, drippy fruitings I missed this winter! Couple that with Dennis Hoey's delicious wine and you'll be a happy camper. Dennis got his start in winemaking working with Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and continues as SCMV's Production Manager. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Forager's Feast Photo Album Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / How I Spent My Summer Vacation I officially retired in Oct 2024 and after the end of our club season this year, I suddenly had more time to go foraging. Katherine (Kitty) Elvin • November 10, 2025 2025 Calabria gang My allergies are the opposum and fish I headed down to Mexico and joined Chad and Rose Hyatt in Oaxaca with Zachary Hunter of TheFungivore.com . I signed up for the MyComida Rupestre - Forage & Feast. For those who know me, what I love almost more than hunting mushrooms, is traveling and eating. This tour was to explore the foods of Oaxaca with a fungal bent. All my three loves in one tour. It was a culinary feast: mole, squash blossoms, corn many ways, insects, mezcal and much more. Unfortunately, the rains arrived 2 days before we were done, but we still found many mushrooms, flowers, plants and insects to entertain us. We were up in Sierra Norte Mountains at around 7000 - 8000'. We found Boletus edulis , Amanita ceasarea , and at Monte Alban inside a tree trunk Volvariella bombycina flaviceps which Chad got really excited. This mushroom was on his bucket list. This area is part of the cloud forest and we found orchids, air plants and carnivorous plants. Definitely worth visiting. Josepha and Ken Hendry. That's a lot of Chicken of the Woods in their Maine neighborhood I headed to Maine to visit with Josepha and Ken Hendry (FFSC members) in Windham Maine and was joined by Phil and Margaret Carpenter who happened to be on the East Coast for the Nama foray. This coastal part of Maine has elevation which was much lower than Oaxaca and more like here in the Bay Area. We hiked around many lovely lakes. I found my first Velvet Foot ( Flammulina velutipes ). We found chicken of the woods and was gifted a large fresh hen of the woods from a member of the Maine mycological club. Josepha managed to get us invited to a local foray nearby. One surprisingly delicious mushroom was the Aborted Entoloma ( Entoloma abortivum ). The current thought is this mushroom is a parasite of Armillaria species. My favorite find was the ghost pipes ( Monotropa uniflora ), this parasitic plant of Russulaceae species. While in Maine, I enjoyed eating lots of lobsters, the crustacean type and not the fungal type. Very much appreciated the hospitality of the Hendry's for putting us up and planning our forays into the woods. What's Cookin Calabria group picture I finished my summer vacation by heading to Italy. I was joining my favorite mushroom tour group, What's Cookin and this time we were visiting Calabria. I have gone on about 5 tours around Europe and parts of Italy with this group led by mycologist Britt Bunyard. Their tours cover my 3 loves: travel, food and fungus. Calabria is famous for their chili and sweet onion and we definitely got to taste those offerings. We hiked amongst conifers and chestnut trees checking out the fungal offerings. Again, I was skunked by the lack of rains and although we had some rains earlier, things were looking a little dry. We found Boletus edulis , chanterelles and many others. I got to eat a soft polypore, call goats foot which was pickled and delicious. What I love about these tours is we have a local mycologist on our foray along with Britt. I love traveling and foraging in different areas. I get to try eating different mushrooms prepared differently from us. I learn that in spite of the differences, I see many similar mushrooms and characteristics. I am a newbie in their woods and with my newbie eyes, I pay more attention and relearn to stop and look deeply. I remember why I love foraging for mushrooms and the best part is even if I don't manage to collect anything, the beauty of the woods is more than enough so I breathe and live. Kitty (Apprentice newbie of the woods) FFSC Long Distance Foray Minister Enjoy the Trip Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts My Adventures in Telluride Colorado Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / 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. Hugh Smith • July 3, 2026 Astreas hygrometricus. Photo by Hugh Smith These are Water Measure Earth Stars, Astreas hygrometricus . They open up when it’s wet, pushing themselves up through the Oak duff. Astreas hygrometricus . Photo by Hugh Smith The petals (rays) of this fungus curl up when conditions are dry, then repeat when a rain comes, pushing themselves up again above the duff. They can do this for a decade or more! I’ve studied them for several years, collecting some of the prime specimens to take home and put in my yard. I put them in other people’s yards too, putting them where hopefully, they'll be noticed when they open up. When an Earthstar opens up, they remind me of a creature, maybe even something that might have just fell out of the sky, an alien looking thing. Most people don’t even recognize them as anything when they’re dried up and curled. But when you see them open, holding their puff ball shaped spore sack high above the ground, you’d think they might wonder. Astreas hygrometricus . Photo by Hugh Smith (Continued below) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Busted Memories of Matsutake Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship FFSC Bylaws 2026 Revision We are revising our club bylaws. FFSC members are encouraged to review the changes before the April 2026 members meeting. Dan Tischler • March 10, 2026 Amanita. Photo by Dan Tischler The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz is a group of diverse of individuals with various interests, skills, and levels of commitment. To minimize entropy, the FFSC Bylaws outline our organization's purpose and goals and provide the structure needed to achieve them. We are revising the bylaws in 2026 to consolidate some ministers' positions, refine duties, and better reflect how we operate. The new document is being reformatted for improved readability and easier future updates. There will be no changes to our core purpose and goals. We encourage FFSC members to review and comment on the bylaws before the April 2026 club meeting . Logged-in members can find more details below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Don't Forget Your Squirrel Permit... Monise and Peter Sheehan attended last year’s Spring Foray and returned the next weekend to continue their, ummmm, squirrel foray? Here is their story, as told by Monise. Monise Sheehan • May 2, 2010 Squirrel. By unknown (Creative Commons License) Yes, we went back up to Eldorado. There were more thunder showers which is great for the mushrooms and bad for the campers. On our way into the campground we stopped along the road and found a bolete or two. It seems as though the rangers are becoming a lot more aggressive about collecting permits. We ran into one while we were eating lunch and visiting with a friend (also from Watsonville). He was up there dirt biking. What were the odds of running into a friend out in the middle of the Sierras? I think he was put there just so that he could watch me tell my tall tale! (Continued for FFSC members below) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings The Season Begins A poem, while we all wait in anticipation of the first coastal rains that bring the autumn boletes and a wealth of fungal fruiting. Regardless of your preference for edibles and/or rich fungal diversity, it is difficult to ignore each passing day that brings us closer to local forays. Bill McGuire • September 1, 2010 Boletus edulis. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org The sounds and smells of fall in the air, fat pumpkins lying in the fields Wood smoke rising lazily, moon in apogee, full, the summer yields A quiet breeze rustles the leaves, leaving only a faint sound Like the flutter of the Fairies’ wings heard in ghostly flight The leaves winter colored, frost crisp’d, dry in their season of death Slowly twist, and then suddenly free, fall silently to the ground Warm mists of October, November rains, fairy rings up last night Baskets ready, anticipation, mushrooms thrusting, pounding hearts A good day, baskets full, shadows long, campfire blazing, happy sounds Of those dying leaves, give thanks, they have had their season in the sun Their short life has run, in their dying commences a new life, the fungal mycelium Mushrooms, in their turn, become the leaves; their life cycle then to be o’er As nature intended, their day in the rain has quickly run, ad infinitum Mushroom lovers: observe the leaves as they twist and turn and fall to mother earth Observe, prepare, it’s soon our turn, our day in the sun, and our season of rebirth —Bill McGuire 2010 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Busted It was 25 years ago in May that I joined a foray to Yosemite, led by David Arora. Tony Dewey • May 16, 2016 Morels. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Memories of Matsutake Reality Check: Dispelling a Myth Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Algae and Fungi Team Up--and They're Lichen It... A bit of lichen-laden poetry (with apologies to Robert Burns) as intro to the upcoming Bioblitz at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Deb • March 2, 2014 Fungi and lichen. Photo by Nick Wagner We turn to National Geographic for poetic lichen, as we get ready for the upcoming Bioblitz at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area -- virtually your back yard --March 28-29, 2014, enjoy. Check out the poetry here: https://web.archive.org/web/20140226235002/http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/25/algae-and-fungus-team-up-and-theyre-lichen-it/ Find out about the Bioblitz, organized by the National Parks Service and National Geographic: https://web.archive.org/web/20140303211118/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/projects/bioblitz/golden-gate-california-2014/ Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Will Mushrooms Make Styrofoam Obsolete? Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Habitat Walk Summary - 2013 To open the 2013 - 2014 mushroom season the Fungus Fed of Santa Cruz held a habitat walk on the west side of Santa Cruz on the morning of Saturday, September 28th. Though significant amounts of rain had yet to fall, the event was well attended by an enthusiastic group of around 20 fungiphiles. Cass Fuentes • September 29, 2013 2013 foray / habitat walk Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts November 2014 Habitat Walk Foray and Habitat Walk March 2015 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fair News 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! Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • July 7, 2026 Showcase your design on T-shirts, posters and more The winning artwork will be used as the basis for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. Please submit your logo design(s) via the method described below by 10pm PT on Monday, August 31, 2026 . Grand Prize The winning artist will receive: $500 in cash Two (2) General Admission tickets to the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair (valued at $15 each) One (1) 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt (valued at $30-35) One (1) set of 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair giveaways (poster, etc.) Artist name credited with the artwork on all official 2027 Fair materials that use the logo Finalists Exhibit Photographs or reprints of the winning artwork and up to 10 of the finalist entries for this logo contest will be displayed at the London Nelson Community Center during the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in January. Each displayed image will be accompanied by the artist's name, URL or contact info, and a brief description. Images of the exhibited entries will also be posted on the FFSC website, and may appear on social media. Contest Rules Eligibility Anyone in the United States can submit an entry. Each individual can submit up to 5 entries. Submit the entry by using the form linked at the bottom of this page. (Submissions sent via email, Facebook messaging, etc. are not eligible.) The finalists and winning design will be reviewed and selected by representatives from the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair organizing committee. Members of the selection committee are not eligible for the grand prize. The deadline to submit entries is August 31, 2026 at 10pm PT . Logo Design Guidelines Your original work only. Please don't violate any copyrights. Special consideration will be given to designs that incorporate these concepts: Distinctly recognizable, real mushroom species known to occur in California The 2027 Fair theme: "Entangled Beauty: The Art & Science of Fungi" Suitability for an all-ages T-shirt Special consideration will also be given to designs which are accompanied by: Suggestions for background colors to use for the T-shirt and poster Suggestions for where to place "Santa Cruz Fungus Fair" and the year (2027) Suggestions for typefaces to use on the T-shirt and poster. Note : If you choose to include text within the artwork, any fonts used must be free for commercial use. Poster Sample (Optional) If you choose to provide a suggested poster layout(s) featuring your logo placement, it will be easier for us to visualize if you include the following types of content on the poster: Event Name : Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Year : 2027 Theme : "Entangled Beauty: The Art & Science of Fungi" Fair Logo : (Your logo design) Dates : January 8-11, 2027 Activities : Wild Mushroom Exhibits, Expert Speakers, Tasty Food, Crafts and Fun for All Ages (feel free to suggest wording adjustments which cover the same activities) Pricing : Adult Admission $10-$15/day Kids under 12 FREE Headliner Talks +$5 each Skip the line, get tickets now and reserve talks in advance Presented by : (Allow space for 2 or 3 logos) Tickets: "Tickets and more information at ffsc.us" (please leave space for a square QR code, which we will insert) Location: London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center Street, Santa Cruz We encourage you to view examples of our past Fungus Fair logos for inspiration. Technical Guidelines Initially, we only need a PDF or screenshot of your artwork for consideration. If your entry is shortlisted as a finalist, we will need your original artwork file. We strongly recommend that you design your contest entry to be print-ready or easily adapted to the following requirements for the final logo: Colors: Max colors within the art file for printing: 7 colors You can suggest a specific T-shirt color as an 8th color If possible, please separate the colors into their own layers within your artwork file, as this is required for T-shirt printing. Artwork / digital canvas size: Printable with high quality at 9-11"w x 9-11" tall File type: Vector art (Adobe Illustrator (.ai), or a .pdf containing vector art is strongly preferred. Adobe Photoshop (.psd) or .png that contains high resolution vectorized art will be considered. If you provide rasterized art, please prepare it for printing at 300 dpi. File name: Include your name and the artwork title in the filename. Logo Design Usage The winning entry will be used for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair committee may, at their discretion, alter the graphic elements, font or verbiage from the winning entry while creating the final 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo and merchandise. The winning entry and final logo will become the property of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz for exclusive commercial use in marketing and merchandising for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and in any other way the organization sees fit in alignment with FFSC's mission . The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz reserves the right to reproduce the artwork and logo indefinitely. The 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo will be displayed at the 2027 Fungus Fair, and will appear on the 2027 Fungus Fair T-shirt, as well as on posters and other materials which will be displayed in the Santa Cruz, California region before and potentially after the event. The logo may be also used in marketing by Fungus Fair vendors, sponsors and speakers, as well as in social media which could be seen worldwide. Submit Your Entry Due to the number of submissions we receive, we are using a Google Form to collect and keep track of all entries for this contest. (We cannot accept submissions via email or other channels.) Visit Entry Form We look forward to seeing your ideas! Past Examples of Fungus Fair Logos Check out our Fungus Fair Posters page for examples of past logos. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2026 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair: Our Mission in Action Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article