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2020 Fair Speakers Visitors at the 2020 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair were treated to great talks by these speakers. Talks: Saturday: Mushrooms of Mexico Sunday: How to Sequence Fungi Monday: DNA Workshop Alan Rockefeller Researcher and Photographer Talks: Saturday: Mushrooms for the Table: Myths, Facts, Culture and Cooking. Chef Chad Hyatt Chef and Author Talks: Saturday: The Most Dangerous Fungi in the World Sunday: What’s new in the mushrooming world of; taxonomy, ecology and citizen science. Sunday: The World's Most Dangerous Fungi Christian Schwarz Research Associate | UCSC Talks: Sunday: The Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Wild Mushrooms Sunday: The Mushrooms of Los Trancos Open Space Douglas Smith Photographer, Educator, and FFSC Science Advisor Talks: Saturday: Visionary Mushrooms Sunday: Practical Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms Featuring Reishi Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Faculty, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Talks: Friday: A Brief Introduction to the Ascomycetes Saturday: Richer Than Gold Sunday: Xylariales of the Boston Harbor Islands Dr. Roo Vandegrift, PhD Mycologist and Illustrator Talks: Saturday: A Survey of Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young FFSC Science Advisor, Foray & ID Specialist, Willamette Valley Mushroom Society Talks: Friday: An Introduction To Mushroom Identification Sunday: An Introduction into Mushroom Identification (Sunday) Phil Carpenter FFSC Science Advisor, NAMA Representative, and past CEO Talks: Saturday: Snowbank Lovers and Fire Followers. Thea Chesney Naturalist Talks: Friday: An introduction to home cultivation of edible mushrooms Sunday: An Introduction into Mushroom Cultivation Vellany Pierce FFSC Prime Minister

Warm and Creamy Mushroom Dip Simple and satisfying comfort food for cool winter nights. Try with morels, hedgehogs, or other robustly flavored mushrooms. by Tahoma Mycological Society Hydnum olympicum. © ladycartoonist (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 335277859) Method Chop the mushrooms.** Lightly sauté the the mushrooms in butter. Gradually add the cream cheese in 1 tablespoon chunks. Serve warm, maintaining a very low temperature, along with crackers or veggies for dipping. Optionally, add a little white wine to taste, along with shallots and fresh thyme or other herbs. ** If you have sturdy mushrooms, chunky bits give the dip a satisfying texture. If you have thinner or delicate mushrooms, chop them more finely to infuse the cream cheese with their flavor. For example, hedgehogs tend to hold less water, so larger chunks brown well without getting soggy, adding a nice texture to the dip. Yellowfoot are thin and cook down quickly, so if you chop them finely and sauté them well to concentrate their sugars, they will infuse the cream cheese to create a more creamy dip. Or try different combos, such as meaty mushrooms for texture and finely chopped mushrooms for aroma. Recipe contributed: December 1993 Objective: Appetizer Total Time: About 15 mins Yield: 6 to 8 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Hedgehog (Hydnum olympicum, Hydnum repandum , Hydnum umbilicatum, Hydnum washintonianum) Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Morel (Morchella sp.) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Yellowfoot (winter chanterelle) (Craterellus tubaeformis) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1/4 lb. mushrooms* 8 oz. cream cheese 1/4 lb. butter Salt and pepper to taste Crackers or veggies for dipping Chafing dish, Sterno (canned heat), or low-temperature hot plate * Choose mushrooms with earthy, robust, or meaty flavors, so their taste stands out in the rich, tangy fat of the cream cheese. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Purple Mycena at FFSC's Santa Cruz Mycoflora Foray (2018). Photo by Michelle Torres-Grant Purple Mycena Michelle Torres-Grant Michelle C. Torres-Grant took this picture attending our 2018 Santa Cruz Mycoflora Foray. We had some rain so we were focused on the small and tiny. Glad we did. Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on December 15, 2018 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Melany Kahn Author, Painter, Film Producer Melany Kahn started hunting for mushrooms in Vermont in 1968 when her family bought a farm in West Brattleboro. For the last 22 years she has taught children how to forage for wild mushrooms. Recently, Melany presented a talk to children at TEDxBoston on planetary stewardship, "You're never too young to learn or too old to start foraging" She is a member of the Education Committee for the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), and a Board Member of the Monadnock Mushroomers Unlimited, her local NH mushroom club. https://www.masongoesmushrooming.com/ Melany Kahn Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets A Multi-Generational Hobby An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and A for… Show More Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1 Family friendly Kid's Interactive Mushroom Cooking Demo 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 A Multi-Generational Hobby An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and A for… Show More Sunday, January 14, 2024 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks A Multi-Generational Hobby An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and A for the entire family. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 14, 2024 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Family friendly Kid's Interactive Mushroom Cooking Demo How to cook a mushroom for the non-mushroom lover in your life, with humor and a lot of butter. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2024 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 A Multi-Generational Hobby An animated read aloud of Mason Goes Mushrooming by author Melany Kahn, followed by a beginner's mushroom ID session and Q and A for the entire family. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2024 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1

Chanterelle Hazelnut Soup This is one of my favorite things to do with chanterelles. The mushroom and hazelnut combination is a flavor experience you will certainly enjoy. by Vince Viverito Cantharellus californicus. © samzanita (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 139792674) Method Prepare the Stock This can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Combine cream and the 1 ¼ lbs. chanterelles (chop if needed), ¾ cup hazelnuts (reserve remainder for garnish), garlic, and shallots in saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, stirring frequently (about 40 minutes). Cool. Boil stock and sherry in a heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Puree chanterelle mixture through food mill fitted with medium disc. Stir into reduced stock. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare the Soup Reheat stock over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add ¼ pound evenly sliced chanterelles to heavy small skillet over medium-high, and cook without butter until liquid is released and evaporates. When the pan is dry, melt butter in, stir frequently, and cook until they turn golden brown (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat, and immediately sprinkle with vermouth to glaze the mushrooms. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with sautéed chanterelles, reserved hazelnuts and fresh chives. Recipe contributed: March 1998 Whether serving this dish to your family or guests, you will receive praise. Bon Appetit. Objective: Soup Total Time: About 2 hours Yield: 4 first courses Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1 quart whipping cream 1 ¼ pounds fresh chanterelles, whole (plus) ¼ pound chanterelles, sliced evenly 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, and coarsely chopped 5 large garlic cloves, flattened 2 shallots, quartered 2 cups unsalted chicken stock ½ cup dry sherry Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 teaspoons dry vermouth Snipped fresh chives Large non-aluminum saucepan (aluminum reacts to the wine) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Hugh Smith There's a whole world out there waiting to be discovered! FFSC TITLE : Minister emeritus MEMBER SINCE : maybe 2007 ... started out as a child... growing up in the tide pools of the Pacific coast with my marine biologist mother. Since before he could remember, Hugh acquired an intense interest in all of the wonders that nature has to offer. Latin became his second language. Later Hugh became interested in photography, and then his brother took him on his first mushroom hunt in Fort Bragg, California. It was a very successful mushroom hunt! It was a full blown Boletus edulis season. Hugh had never seen a mushroom so big! And there were so many. Being already accustomed to the Macro world he was hooked. Photographing mushrooms is much easier than photographing Nudibranchs in the tide pools. Living in Northern California (Yuba City) he does most of the hunting there and the Pacific Coast. Hugh carries his camera everywhere he goes. There's a whole world out there waiting to be discovered! https://www.hughsmith.org/ Hugh Smith Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks

News & Stories / Stewardship Echo Summit Lodge – SOS The Echo Summit Lodge is the location of our annual September foray. It is a beautiful lodge overlooking Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe. Lee Yamada • November 1, 2009 Group photo at Echo Summit Lodge. Photo by Cecilia Stipes FFSC has been graced with utilization of this facility each year because two of our members, Lee Yamada and Phyllis Cole, are California Alpine Club (CAC) members and Echo Summit Lodge hosts. The Lodge is now experiencing financial distress. The letter below is from Lee and Phyllis regarding assistance to the Lodge. Hello FFSC Members, Over the decades, many FFSC members have enjoyed Echo Summit Lodge, with it’s beautiful scenery and vista. We have found mountains of boletes and a close and enduring comraderie of spirit. As the years have gone by we’ve appreciated the small changes that help to make the Lodge such a pleasant place (e.g., matching pillow cases and bedspreads in each room, the BBQ with its shelter, wine glasses - there were LOTS last September) as well as the major changes to the Lodge (e.g., updated water system, water heaters, kitchen and dining room floor covers, new fireplaces, kitchen update, new paint and siding, and now the handicapped ramp). As a condition of the California Alpine Club keeping it’s lease, the U.S. Forest Service has required major changes and upgrades. The projects - expensive to begin with - often went up in price after they were started. For example, in the middle of the 2008 paint and siding project, the County Building Inspector decided to increase shear strength by requiring the entire building be sheathed in thicker plywood: this added 2 weeks labor for 10 workers plus the materials. Also, the 2009 ramp project revealed several huge granite boulders that were too difficult to move. Revising the design to include the boulders meant additional engineering drawings, reviews and approvals that added $25,000 to the cost of $155,000. As a result, Echo Summit Lodge has had to borrow $35,000 to keep afloat. California Alpine Club is appealing for donations from its members and affiliates. We hope FFSC members will join in the effort to keep Echo Summit Lodge viable. Many of us are stretched financially, but small amounts add up! Please make donations if you're able to. Donations are not tax deductible since CAC is a “Social Club” not a 501C charitable organization. Thank you for your consideration, Lee Yamada and Phyllis Cole Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Kristopher Hennig The Fungus Federation Scholarship Committee is happy to present its first scholarship of the 2011 year to Kristopher Hennig, who is working on completion of his Master of Sciences Degree. Wendy Wells • February 1, 2011 Craterellus tubaeformis. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Kristopher has also happily agreed to present his paper to us upon completion. Kristopher Hennig graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire in 2007 with a major in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies and pre-professional health care. (Quite an ambitious course of study.) He wrote the following short essay explaining his personal interest in mycology and how he intends to use this knowledge in the future. It was fungi as the mysterious, the curious, and the unknown that drew me in. Six Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World , a talk presented by Paul Stametz for TED Talks, sparked the seed of my interest by emphasizing the role fungi can take in benefiting mankind and the natural world. Continued reading, particularly of Stametz and Nicholas Money, clarified how very little we know about these organisms and the role the scientific method has played in clarifying their form and function. Ironically, this “spark” of interest occurred a full year after having spent months working with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on a Wisconsin prairie research and restoration project. To me, this only reinforces my belief that the world needs scientists who can research effectively, but also write lucidly for multiple audiences, not only for their academic peers and journals. I began my Masters degree in Biology at the University of Mississippi because it offered the opportunity to work with organisms that are critical components of forest health and ecosystem processes. Additionally, studying ectomycorrhizal ecology offers the opportunity to work in a rapidly advancing field that is quickly clarifying the importance of fungal organisms and tying fungal ecology to general ecological theories. Though the understanding of ectomycorrhizal distributions and population structure is growing exponentially in my field, our understanding of what individual species are doing in the soil is lagging behind. As I continue studying ectomycorrhizal ecology, I plan to move my research towards the use of the increasing number of fungal genomes being sequenced. I hope to use a blend of functional and comparative genomics, high-throughput sequencing technologies, and physiological research to describe the interactions of ectomycorrhizal fungi with the environment, plants and trees, and other soil organisms. References: Hennig, Kristopher Jordan, "Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Succession in a Native Monterey Pine Forest and Its Potential Influence Upon Forest Population Dynamics" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 132. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/132 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / MushroomObserver.org — A Place to Share What We Discover When I first started collecting mushrooms, I was ten years old and my mother was the local authority. She recognized chanterelles and Russulas. She taught me what an Amanita is and to never, ever, ever eat one. Nathan Wilson • November 1, 2006 Chlorophyllum molybdites. © Nathan Wilson (from mushroomobserver.org) However, she also knew that she didn’t know a lot of the species we were finding, so we got some books and joined the Mycological Society of San Francisco. At the time I assumed that all these mushrooms we were finding had names and it was just a matter of getting the right books or finding the right person to figure it all out. Ever since then I have continued to collect and study mushrooms. Ultimately, I broke mom’s rule about the Amanitas , but only after David Arora taught me to recognize Amanita velosa and Amanita calyptrata . Along the way I have also learned that there is a huge amount of basic research that still needs to be done. By some estimates less that 5% of the world’s species of fungi are known to science. While things are slightly better for the large fleshy fungi known as mushrooms, it is still a common experience to come across a mushroom that cannot be easily identified in the available books or which doesn’t really fit the definition of any recognized species. For example, one of those familiar and tasty Amanitas David taught me still needs more scientific work. In particular, it is not completely clear whether the proper scientific name is Amanita calyptrata , Amanita calyptroderma or Amanita lanei . Personally, and I believe David agrees with this, I now call them Amanita calyptroderma . However, there’s still that pretty light-yellow form that shows up in the spring that may or may not be the same species. One of the other things I’ve learned is that there are far too few professional mycologists in the world. However, there are a lot of us amateurs and if we could find a way to channel some of our enthusiasm, I believe it is possible for us to make a meaningful contribution to these problems. With that in mind I have created the website www.mushroomobserver.org . The purpose of this site is to record observations about mushrooms, help people identify unfamiliar mushrooms, and expand the community around the scientific exploration of mushrooms (mycology). Ultimately, I hope this site will become a valuable resource for both amateur and professional mycologists. I like to think of it as a living field journal of mushrooms. The site is designed to provide a permanent place for anyone to contribute to our basic knowledge about mushrooms. Anyone who joins can record mushroom observations, upload images, and get help in identifying mushrooms. All contributions are welcome. The site allows people to make comments on others’ observations and create lists of observations to use as species lists for events or locations. There are still a bunch of features I want to add, but it’s now at a point where I think it’s useful and interesting. The membership has been growing and people are really starting to add data. There are currently over a 1000 photographs of more than 500 species. I hope you get a chance to check out the site and look forward to getting to know those of you who decide to dive in and share what you find. - Nathan Wilson Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts D.I.Y. Mycoblitz Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / 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 / Writings Stories from the April 1, 2010 Issue of Duff Jim Maley found this awesome Craterellus Cubano on a recent foray to Havana... Rick & Ella Schwartzi • April 1, 2010 Jim Maley with a Craterellus Cubano Scientists Discover No Two Mushrooms Alike In a development that has thrown mushroom identification into a virtual tizzy, professional mycologists have discovered through a multilocus phylogenetic overview that the clades they’ve been accepting as fact are quite suspect. “We found that we were using such a small section of the DNA, we missed a lot of stuff ”, says Dr. Harry Lincough. An overview of the phylogeny of a six-gene region supermatrix reveals that two mushrooms growing side by side can look quite different. Bayesian analyses of 5611 nucleotide characters of ribosomal RNA genes recovered six major clades, which are all recognized informally and labeled as Cantharellus cascadensis . “Sometimes it’s chrome yellow; sometimes it’s lemon yellow,” says mushroom expert I. Buyzalot. “ Cantharellus cascadensis is genetically very similar to Cantharellus subalbidus . When Cantharellus cascadensis is completely covered with duff, it is all white. Who can tell them apart, really, when acidification is a possible cause of fading?” adds Buyzalot. This debate will go on for some time, experts in the field have boldly predicted. “We don’t know for sure if they’re hybridizing or cross-breeding, but we can’t tell one from another,” says Dr. Lincough. “There is no happy ending.” Next month : Care and breeding of Cornish game hens. Fungus Federation Opens New Office Thanks to a generous grant from the FourOne Foundation, FFSC has opened an office in the Costco Santa Cruz. “We’re here every day anyway, buying supplies for some club event, so why not just make it an official place for Fungus Federators to come visit while we’re shopping,” says Debbie Johnson. Dried wild mushrooms, $10 per bag, benefits the FFSC In addition to a great way to recruit new members, the FFSC office has other benefits. “We can sell mushrooms that people collect on commission, and 10% of sales benefit the club treasury,” says Minister of Stores Toni Gillespie. “We’ve even started a line of dried mushrooms, which is quite popular.” According to CEO Bob Sellers, staffing is no problem since there’s almost always an FFSC member in Costco. “The new office has been very successful,” says Sellers. “Come see us soon.” Get Certified in Mushroom ID Groceries and farmers markets all over California are gearing up for a new program to have staff-certified mushroom identifiers on site beginning in 2011. No more messy poisonings: trained identifiers will be available to give a thumbs up or finger down the throat for novice mushroom collectors everywhere. Learn the difference between “Edibles,” the “Lose your lunch bunch” and “Call 911 NOW” types of fungi. Promotional ad for this venerable program Looflirpa College is offering Master Identifier certificate classes starting in June. Their knowledgeable, high-powered instructors, Dr. Henry Gnuoy and Dr. Philip Retneprac, have years of experience in this exacting yet profitable field. To take advantage of this exciting opportunity, sign up today and get a jump start on your next career! No prior training required. Looflirpa College is an equal opportunity institution. We’re an accredited university offering on-campus and online college degree programs. Visit us at www.looflirpa.edu. New Species from Lockheed Fire Area These pics just in from the Lockheed Fire Area. This new species is being named Californicus gigantorel . Morel in Cart. Contributed by Jim Maley Californicus gigantorel. Contributed by Jim Maley Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Stories from the April 1, 2011 Issue of Duff Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports 2007 Spring Foray Species List Here is a species list from the spring camping foray up at Eldorado National Forest. The big mushroom for the weekend were the morels, black and blond. Douglas Smith • September 1, 2007 Morchella. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Sierra Boletes in Spring 2007 2008 Spring Foray Species List Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article