Members Holiday Potluck A Festive Gathering for Members and Their Guests Spend a delicious evening in the company of the great cooks of the FFSC at our annual members' Holiday Potluck! We’re excited to invite all Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz members and their guests to our Annual Holiday Potluck—a cherished tradition that brings together our community, celebrates mushrooms, and embraces the spirit of the season! FFSC members can login for details about the date, time and location of the 2025 potluck, what to bring and more below. (This event replaces December's member meeting and guest speaker.) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Santa Cruz Fungus Fair After Hours Dinner On opening night of the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair each January, we indulge in a multi-course prix fixe meal crafted by a celebrity chef. Each year brings a unique selection of tasty mushroom dishes, and may include wine pairing, music, and/or other activities. Tickets to the After Hours Dinner usually go on sale in early December, and sell out quickly. (Fungus Fair General admission tickets do not include the dinner.) Examples of Past Dinners 2025 Menu presented by Chef Chad Hyatt Wine pairings by Jeff Emery, Winemaker, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Live music by George Heagerty & Never the Same Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Spring Long Distance Foray Join our Spring Foray when the snow melts in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and enjoy the vernal appearance of morels, coccoras, woodland agaricus and early boletes. FFSC's first Spring Foray was in 1987, led by Brad Beebe. Brad would scout the Sierras for morels in multiple locations in April and decide a week or so prior where he would lead. It was so well received that it was established as an annual foray. This is a loose gathering for FFSC members. Everyone finds their own camping spot and hunts on their own. The only fixed event is the Saturday night potluck. Everyone meets at a designated location, brings chairs, their dish, drinks, eating gear and firewood. Everyone helps clean up and we are sure to have good food, drinks, laughter as we share our hunt stories around the fire. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

An Educator's Guide to Fungi K-6 The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has generously shared this incredible resource with K-6 educators and the public. Cover image of the Fungus Files, by terraBrie Stewart and Rost Koval, courtesy of NAMA The Fungus Files: An Educator’s Guide to Fungi K-6 (Second Edition) , is a newly revised e-book packed with dynamic and diverse activities designed to be easily adaptable to students of all ages, learning styles and ability levels. This publication is the best thing to come along in mushroom education in a decade. Image from The Fungi Files by terraBrie Stewart and Rost Koval, courtesy of NAMA Written by terraBrie Stewart and designed and illustrated by Rost Koval, The Fungus Files can be used by anyone teaching about fungi to school groups, science clubs, local nature groups, and any non-specialist audience. Stewart resides in Edmonton, Alberta. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Fuchsi. Hygrocybe coccinea. Photo by Joshua Becker Fuchsi Joshua Becker Found in Big Basin along the Skyline-to-Sea Trail. Wet weather. Visit our Featured Fungi page on waxy caps to get more information on these lovely mushrooms: Hygrocybe laetissima (Waxy Caps) Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on December 12, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

2026 Fair Speakers We had a great lineup of distinguished and up-and-coming speakers for 2026. To browse talks by day and time, see the 2026 Speaker Schedule . Alan Rockefeller Researcher and Photographer Alan is a researcher, educator, consultant and speaker specializing in DNA bar-coding, field photography, and fungal microscopy. With a bilingu… Andrew Ratz Field and Lab Technician | University of Minnesota I am fascinated by biogeography and the dynamic ways life shapes its environment; as well as how these environmental conditions,… Chad Hyatt Chef and Author Chef Chad Hyatt, the author of " The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen ", is an expert forager and classically trained chef who ha… Christian Schwarz Research Associate | UCSC Christian Schwarz is a naturalist based in California, the land of milk (caps) and honey (mushrooms). He teaches Natural History… Dr. Bill Schoenbart Practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture Dr. Bill Schoenbart is a practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture with over 30 years of experience. He has… Henry Young FFSC Science Advisor Foray and ID Specialist | Willamette Valley Mushroom Society Henry moved to Salem, Oregon in 2016 from Santa Cruz. He is active with the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society teaching… Jason Raiti Botany-Mycology Graduate Student Pringle Lab | University of Wisconsin–Madison I’m Jason Raiti—a mycologist, educator, and creative technologist. I’m currently pursuing a graduate degree in Botany at the University of… Jeff Emery Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Jeff Emery is the proprietor, winemaker, truck driver, barrel washer, paper pusher and just about everything else for Santa Cruz… Stephanie S. Jarvis, MSc Director of Mycology R & D | M2 Ingredients Founder | Pacific Truffle Growers Stephanie Jarvis is an interdisciplinary mycologist and executive cultivator with over 20 years of leadership in solid-state fermentation, fungal biotechnology,…

2026 Speaker Schedule Visitors attended fascinating talks by distinguished and up-and-coming mycologists during the 2026 Fungus Fair in January. You can also browse 2026 Fair Speakers by name. The Fungus Fair has two lecture venues: The London Nelson Multipurpose Room ( Room 3 ) is where you'll find our headliners. To attend these talks you will need to buy a separate ticket for each talk , in addition to your general admission ticket. This year we will be selling the majority of these tickets online, in advance of the fair. Though we will continue to sell a few tickets at the door for procrastinators, it is highly recommended that you buy your ticket ahead of time if there is a particular speaker whom you are very motivated to see. Talk tickets for 2026 went on sale in December, along with general admission tickets to the Fungus Fair. A smaller lecture room ( Room 1 ) will have informative and educational talks given by local, or not so local, knowledgeable mycologists. These talks are free, but you must have a Fungus Fair general admission hand stamp to get in, and please note that seating (and standing room) is limited and first-come, first-served. Include room(s): All Room 1 Room 3 Fair days Friday Saturday Sunday Tips and Techniques for Cooking With Mushrooms Chef Bob Wynn ... ... Friday, January 9, 2026 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 1 Friday Revealing Fungal Secrets: Apps and Programs for Mushroom Discovery Alan Rockefeller ... ... In this talk, Alan Rockefeller will demonstrate powerful Android and iPhone apps, websites, and computer programs that help mushroom enthusiasts, researchers, and… Show More Friday, January 9, 2026 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 3 Friday Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter ... ... Friday, January 9, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 Friday The Underground Internet, 30 Years Later Christian Schwarz ... ... By now, almost everyone's heard of "Wood Wide Webs" — invisible forest networks through which trees, fungi, and other organisms communicate and… Show More Saturday, January 10, 2026 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Room 3 Saturday The Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Wild Mushrooms Douglas Smith ... ... Saturday, January 10, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Room 1 Saturday Truffles: The Egos, Ecology, and Economics of Cultivating and Hunting Nature’s Nuggets of Gold Stephanie S. Jarvis, MSc ... ... Because these fungi are far more than gourmet ingredients — they’re ecological power players, political lightning rods, and the ultimate test of… Show More Saturday, January 10, 2026 11:05 AM - 12:05 PM Room 3 Saturday Getting Started with Cultivation Vellany Pierce ... ... Saturday, January 10, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Room 1 Saturday Fungi in Art Through Space and Time Jason Raiti ... ... A continent-by-continent exploration of the role the fungi have played in art from 10,000 years ago with petroglyphs, to medieval southeast Asian… Show More Saturday, January 10, 2026 12:40 PM - 1:40 PM Room 3 Saturday Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter ... ... Saturday, January 10, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Room 1 Saturday Fungal Sporecasting: From Continental to Local Spore Drifts and Constraints on Fungal Dispersal Andrew Ratz ... ... Fungi are vital ecosystem drivers, along with delectable and wondrous organisms, yet their dispersal via microscopic airborne spores remains a challenge to… Show More Saturday, January 10, 2026 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM Room 3 Saturday Medicinal Mushrooms Traditional Usage in Chinese Medicine and Modern Scientific Research Dr. Bill Schoenbart ... ... Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. They have also been the subject of numerous scientific studies… Show More Saturday, January 10, 2026 3:50 PM - 4:50 PM Room 3 Saturday Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young ... ... Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 Saturday Truffles in the Wind: Unexpected Airborne Pathways for Underground Fungi Andrew Ratz ... ... While most mushrooms cast their spores to the wind, truffles have evolved to stay underground. They release strong scents and can mimic… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Room 3 Sunday Question And Answer Session about Identifying and Cooking Wild Mushrooms Chad Hyatt Phil Carpenter ... Sunday, January 11, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Room 1 Sunday Sea Islands, Sky Islands, and Dry Islands: the Biogeography of Macrofungi Christian Schwarz ... ... Making maps of the distributions of organisms is one of the most fascinating topics in all of natural history. The theory of… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 11:05 AM - 12:05 PM Room 3 Sunday DNA Sequencing for the Fungus Federation Douglas Smith ... ... Sunday, January 11, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Room 1 Sunday The Mystery of Amanita phalloides Jason Raiti ... ... A deep dive into the literature in an accessible form, to tell the story of the invasive fungus Amanita phalloides. This is… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 12:40 PM - 1:40 PM Room 3 Sunday Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Kyle Garrone ... ... Sunday, January 11, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Room 1 Sunday Mushroom Cooking Demo with Tasting and optional Wine Pairing Jeff Emery Chad Hyatt ... Chef Chad Hyatt will demonstrate his cooking techniques and his creations will be paired with exquisite wines provided by vintner Jeff Emery… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 2:15 PM - 3:25 PM Room 3 Sunday Energetics of Medicinal Mushrooms in Traditional Chinese Medicine: How they Work Along with Herbs to Treat Various Conditions Dr. Bill Schoenbart ... ... Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 Sunday What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young ... ... Explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 3 Sunday

Auriscalpium vulgare (Soquel, 2016). Photo by Cass Fuentes Auriscalpium vulgare on Pinecone Cass Fuentes Exploring the Soquel Demonstration Forest at the FFSC local foray in February, and though the weather was amazing, the fleshy fungi were few and far between... None-the-less, there was some really cool finds, including Hericium coralloides (a choice edible related to Lion's Mane), and Auriscalpium vulgare . Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on February 20, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

The Mycophagist's Ten Commandments When you are collecting for the table, follow these "ten commandments" -- and stay safe! Amanita novinupta in Douglas Fir. Photo by Katherine Elvin When you are collecting for the table, follow these "Mycophagist's* Ten Commandments," excerpted from Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America by David Fischer and Alan Bessette: 1 Never eat a mushroom unless it is positively identified as edible . Mistakes can result in toxic reactions ranging from mild gastric upset to death. If in doubt, throw it out! 2 Eat only fresh mushrooms that are free from infestation by insects or larvae. Mushrooms can spoil, and eating any spoiled food can cause food poisoning or other adverse reactions. 3 Thoroughly cook all mushrooms unless they are specifically known to be edible raw. Some mushrooms contain toxins or gastrointestinal irritants that must be destroyed by cooking. 4 Eat mushrooms only in moderate quantities . Mushrooms are not easily digested; overeating them is an easy way to get sick. 5 When trying an edible mushroom for the first time, eat only a small portion (a spoonful), and don't try any other new kinds for forty-eight hours. As with many kinds of food, some people are sensitive or allergic to mushrooms commonly eaten by other people. Individuals with known food allergies or sensitivities should be extra careful when trying mushrooms new to them, especially those species known to present problems for some individuals. 6 Don't pick mushrooms from contaminated habitats . These include polluted areas, chemically treated lawns, ornamental trees, and places close to highways, landfills, toxic waste sites, crop fields, power lines, railroads, buildings, industrial areas, or firebreaks. Contaminants may accumulate in wild mushrooms. 7 Never assume that a wild mushroom you find overseas is the same edible species you know from North America, or vice versa. Too many serious cases of mushroom poisoning occur because vacationers and immigrants unwittingly gather dangerous look-alike species not found in their native lands. 8 Be conservative about feeding wild mushrooms to children, the elderly, and the infirm. Avoid edible species known to cause adverse reactions in some people, and don't let children, the elderly, or persons in poor health try an unfamiliar kind of wild mushroom until you and other friends or relatives have identified and eaten it without any adverse reactions. Limit portion sizes for children, the elderly, and the sick because they're generally more susceptible to toxins than other people are. 9 When trying a wild mushroom for the first time, save a few intact, uncooked specimens in the refrigerator for forty-eight hours. If someone develops an illness within two days after trying an unfamiliar mushroom, the physician may want expert identification to rule out the mushroom as the culprit. 10 Examine every specimen in every collection of mushrooms to avoid inadvertent mixing of different species. Even experienced mushroom hunters can err if they become careless and fill their baskets too hurriedly. *A mycophagist is an organism or person who eats fungi, particularly mushrooms, or an enthusiast who is deeply interested in mushrooms from a gastronomic perspective. The term combines the Greek-derived prefix "myco-," meaning mushroom or fungus, with the word "phage," referring to eating. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Scarlet Waxy Cap. Photo by Jim Kern Scarlet Waxy Cap James Kern Scarlet waxy cap in Mesick, Michigan. Photo taken August 18, 2017 by James Kern. Read upon Waxy Caps in our Featured Fungi: Hygrocybe laetissima (Waxy Caps) Camera Nikon D600 Focal L. 60mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/800s ISO 200 Flash Off Photo taken on August 19, 2017 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Collection Ethics and Etiquette We share these pointers to promote fungal fruiting and maintain harmony in the mushrooming community. Agaricus campestris. Photo by D. DeShazer Respect private property: One person can cause collecting privileges for the entire mushrooming community to be revoked. Don’t pick every mushroom you see: Leaving very young and very old mushrooms, along with a few in their prime may allow them to sporulate and reproduce. Don’t leave trimmings and broken mushrooms around: Bury your trimmings in the depression in the duff and cover with more duff. This keeps the mycelium healthy, prevents that “ravaged” look and vastly improves the aesthetics of a walk in the woods. (Cutting mushrooms and leaving the bottom exposed does not help the mycelia to regrow a mushroom as some people think.) You’ll know you’ve done a good job when you stumble across the area again and hunt it twice! Respect personal space: When collecting with a group, be respectful of your neighbors’ personal space. That said, if you found a huge bonanza, share a few of your findings with those less skilled or fortunate. It will come back to you! Review event policies: Each FFSC event includes a few policies for the safety and well-being of all participants, cancellation policies, and/or policies defined by the facilities we use. Be sure to read the policies carefully before registering and before attending each event. For long-distance forays, please also read Must Know to Participate in Long-Distance Forays . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Earth Star (Astraeus hygrometricus). Photo by Tim Teske Earth Star Tim Teske Found in Rancho San Antonio park along the Rogue Valley Trail. Appeared shortly after a brief day of rain during an unusually dry season. Learn more about the genus Astraeus : Astraeus (fungus) , Wikipedia Barometer Earthstars (Genus Astraeus) , iNaturalist California Mushrooms, page 460 Astraeus hygrometricus , Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, page 533 Camera Apple iPhone X Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/1.8 Shutter Sp. 1/100s ISO 40 Flash Off Photo taken on December 23, 2017 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo