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News & Stories / Field Reports Long Distance Forays, 2000-2001 As your new Long Distance Foray Minister, I have put some thoughts into possibly adding some Forays besides our usual outstanding complement. Horst Kuhlmann • September 1, 2000 Boletus edulis. © gh0stsquirrel (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 325585046) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports NAMA Foray Kudos The North American Mycolocigal Association foray held in Scotts Valley in December was a resounding success. Wendy Wells • January 1, 2013 Photo by Hugh Smith The Mission Springs facility worked out wonderfully. The event was sponsored by NAMA under the aegis of ace Santa Cruz organizers Noah Seigel and Christian Schwarz. Their abundant energy, organizational skills and good cheer made for an educational and memorable foray. Thanks also to lead foray mycologist Else Vellinga and the many organizers and presenters who helped make it all possible! The recent rains produced bountiful collections that kept the ID and vouchering process busy all weekend. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Albion II 2003: Foray Recap and Species List Horst told us we had a small crowd. Phil Carpenter told me that I was the only ID person going. Now that was a little alarming... John Brown • April 1, 2003 Amanita novinupta. © Debbie Viess (from mushroomobserver.org) Unlike Phil and Henry, my memory window is pretty small: I like to have the book right in front of me, even for easy species. It sounded like we’d get 20 species ID’d. After Saturday night’s dinner, Richard Lyness asked for a show of hands for first timers. He asked for those attending 4 or more forays. He asked for people who had come from far away. And in asking for these, brought into our focus some interesting perspectives, and really made us more aware of one another. After dinner, I went to the ID table. Pretty soon, Bill White and Bill Moller were there, helping. We were at it for quite a while when I looked up and realized that there was another ID table: Doug Smith and Takeo Hamada. Putting names on all those mushrooms wasn’t impossible after all. Bill White and I were last to leave, about 1:30am. And, except for a few really difficult ones (and the polypores, which I had pointedly ignored), we ID’d everything. Friday night was incredibly warm. It rained most of Saturday while we collected. But ... we’re mushroom hunters. I won’t say we weren’t daunted by the rain, but most of us got thoroughly soaked before going back for the potluck. Dinner was just wonderful, and Sunday morning was sunny and beautiful. FFSC members can login to read more about the event, and for the species list. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Albion II Foray Species List: January 23-25, 2004 Albion II Foray Species List — January 21-23, 2005 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

2020 Speaker Schedule Here's a recap of the talks and demos held during the 2020 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. You can also browse the list of speakers for the Fair, and visit their bios for more info about them. Include room(s): All Room 1 Room 3 Fair days Friday Saturday Sunday A Brief Introduction to the Ascomycetes Dr. Roo Vandegrift, PhD ... ... Friday, January 10, 2020 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM Room 1 Friday An introduction to home cultivation of edible mushrooms Vellany Pierce ... ... Friday, January 10, 2020 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3 Friday An Introduction To Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter ... ... Friday, January 10, 2020 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Friday A Survey of Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young ... ... Friday, January 10, 2020 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1 Friday Mushrooms for the Table: Myths, Facts, Culture and Cooking. Chef Chad Hyatt ... ... Saturday, January 11, 2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1 Saturday Richer Than Gold Dr. Roo Vandegrift, PhD ... ... Fungal biodiversity and conservation in a threatened Andean cloud forest reserve. Saturday, January 11, 2020 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Saturday The Most Dangerous Fungi in the World Christian Schwarz ... ... A Mycological Study in Risk Assessment in a world that is rapidly changing. Saturday, January 11, 2020 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Room 3 Saturday Snowbank Lovers and Fire Followers. Thea Chesney ... ... Spring Mushrooms of the Western Sierra. Saturday, January 11, 2020 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Saturday Visionary Mushrooms Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac ... ... An overview of the benefits of psilocybin and of the genus of Psilocybe mushrooms for healing and health. Saturday, January 11, 2020 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 3 Saturday Mushrooms of Mexico Alan Rockefeller ... ... Saturday, January 11, 2020 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM Room 1 Saturday The Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Wild Mushrooms Douglas Smith ... ... Saturday, January 11, 2020 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 Saturday How to Sequence Fungi Alan Rockefeller ... ... How to turn a DNA sequence into useful information and demonstration of how to build a phylogenetic tree. Saturday, January 11, 2020 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Room 3 Saturday An Introduction into Mushroom Cultivation Vellany Pierce ... ... Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1 Sunday Practical Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms Featuring Reishi Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac ... ... Learn how to choose, prepare and make your own medicines with the best fungi for optimum health and how to evaluate products… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Room 3 Sunday The Mushrooms of Los Trancos Open Space Douglas Smith ... ... Sunday, January 12, 2020 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Room 1 Sunday What’s new in the mushrooming world of; taxonomy, ecology and citizen science. Christian Schwarz ... ... Learn about new species of boletes, hallucinogenic cicadas, matsutake taxonomy and discoveries of East coast mushrooms spreading into California. / Neurogenesis from… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2020 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Room 3 Sunday An Introduction into Mushroom Identification (Sunday) Phil Carpenter ... ... Sunday, January 12, 2020 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Sunday Xylariales of the Boston Harbor Islands Dr. Roo Vandegrift, PhD ... ... Tea Party Teleomorphs: Dead-Man's Fingers and Allied Fungi of the Boston Harbor Islands. An introduction to Xylariales a very widely distributed a… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2020 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Room 3 Sunday The World's Most Dangerous Fungi Christian Schwarz ... ... Sunday, January 12, 2020 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Sunday DNA Workshop Alan Rockefeller ... ... Participants will complete all the steps to generate DNA sequences of the interesting mushroom collections that have been brought into the fair, Sunday, January 12, 2020 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Room 3 Sunday

Coddled Button Mushrooms Coddling is a hybrid between poaching and steaming, and keeps mushrooms plump, succulent, and infused with flavor. by Maria Reidelbach (NYMS) Agaricus bisporus. © James Chelin (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 131955228) Method Cut the stems off the mushrooms, level with the bottom of the cap (leaving the stub of the stem). Beginning at the edge, peel the mushroom caps* with your fingers. Save and refrigerate the peels and the cut stems. (There should be about 1 cup of trimmings, and you can use them to make other dishes, like Beurre Composé aux Champignons or vegetarian soup stock. ) Put the peeled mushrooms, stubs up, in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold them in a single layer. (Use two skillets if necessary.) Pour the olive oil over the mushrooms and sprinkle with 1 tsp. coarse salt. Create a cartouche** by cutting a piece of baking parchment into a circle that fits inside the skillet, and poke or snip a dime-sized hole in the center of the circle. Lay the parchment directly on the mushrooms. Over a very low flame, heat the mushrooms slowly. Cook 5 minutes. Lift the far edge of the parchment with tongs (to ensure trapped steam releases away from your hands or face), and lay it upside down on a clean plate or cutting board (wet side up). Turn mushrooms onto the other side, then cover again with the parchment and cook 5 minutes. Repeat the process to steam the mushrooms (under the parchment) on each side for 4 to 5 minutes each, for a total cooking time of 18 to 20 minutes. Discard the parchment, remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and place coddled mushrooms on a serving platter. Add vinegar and 12 whole black peppercorns to the remaining juices in the skillet. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, then pour the sherry vinegar and peppercorns over the mushrooms.*** Serve at room temperature. * Maria said she also tried tried this recipe with the mushrooms unpeeled. They were both good, but the peeled caps absorbed more juices and were meltingly tender. ** A cartouche rests directly on the food to create a shallow environment that traps steam right at the surface of the mushrooms (rather than allowing vapor to rise to a lid and rain back down into the pan), while gently preventing the mushrooms from floating. This helps the mushrooms poach evenly in the oil. The hole in the middle allows a small, controlled amount of steam to escape, to prevent the liquid from boiling over. Make sure you cut the paper to fit inside the edges of the skillet, so that it won't catch fire from the burner. ** The acidity of the vinegar-infused oil helps to break up the greasy sensation vs. using the oily juices alone, helps the mushrooms absorb flavors, and acts as a short-term preservative. Recipe contributed: March 2011 Coddling works well with young agarics whose caps are still closed (such as cremini, white buttons, or young Prince mushrooms); and mushrooms that can hold their shape, like smaller hedgehog mushrooms. If you try this method with opened mushroom caps, slice them into small, thick pieces first. A version of this recipe was shared by Maria Reidelbach in the New York Mycological Society newsletter and reprinted with permission. Objective: Appetizer Total Time: 45 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Hedgehog (Hydnum olympicum, Hydnum repandum , Hydnum umbilicatum, Hydnum washintonianum) Portobello/portabella, champignon, cremini, button (Agaricus bisporus) The Prince (Agaricus augustus) 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 lb. young (button stage) mushrooms (about 18) ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (or 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar plus ½ Tbsp. soy sauce) Coarse salt 12 whole black peppercorns Baking parchment Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Birch Boletes (2014). Photo by Steve Olson Birch Boletes in July! Steve Olson Found these little Birch Boletes in a neighbors wooded yard. I would love to pick and dry these little fellas but not sure if they've been spayed, fertilized, etc. Too bad……they look delicious! Found in San Carlos, July 20, 2014 Sadly only had my iPhone camera Camera Apple iPhone 5 Focal L. 4mm Aperture Shutter Sp. 1/100s ISO 80 Flash Off Photo taken on July 20, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Take a Closer Look at your Black Trumpets Phil Carpenter brought me a bag of Craterellus calicornucopioides the other day. He’s a really nice, thoughful guy, isn’t he? Deb • March 1, 2010 Craterellus calicornucopioides. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) But that’s not all. He placed a lovely little bouquet of Craterellus atrocinereus on top. They’re similar, but not identical. The C. atrocinereus have a veiny underside, like our Golden Chanterelles, whereas the C. calicornucopioides have a smoother hymenium. Check it out in these pictures and keep an eye open for them in the woods. Craterellus atrocinereus. © Debbie Viess (from mushroomobserver.org) Craterellus calicornucopioides. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Craterellus atrocinereus. © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) Craterellus calicornucopioides. © Christian Schwarz (from mushroomobserver.org) I’ve found them occasionally in the past, and they always get lost in my basket with the dominant species. My comparison: they taste basically the same, but the C. atrocinereus have a slightly softer and more luscious texture. See what you think. Bon appétit! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / What Made the 2012 Wine and Mushroom Event Extraordinary? Was it the spectacular showing of gigantic chocolate mushrooms, the surprise door prizes, the fantastic wines, delicious food or good companionship? All of that and more! Margaret Carpenter • April 1, 2012 FFSC Wine and Chocolate 2012. Photo by Mary Lindsay Pouring at the Wine and Mushroom dinner. Photo by Mary Lindsay Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards organized some exceptional Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation wineries to share their wines. We were given the opportunity to enjoy excellent wines from Ahlgren Vineyard, Muns Vineyard, River Run Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and Silver Mountain Vineyard. And Osocalis Distillery poured alambic brandy! Everything was outstanding. And we couldn’t forget the food: the table groaned with a wonderful array. There were no long lines, just people mingling around the numerous tables munching on food and sipping wine. One comment overheard from a first time attendee was, “I can’t believe that there are so many ways to fix appetizers.” Chef Bob Wynn produced several fresh-baked mushroom foccacia breads. Our new wineglass plates, courtesy of Dawn Engel, made the food and wine balancing act a snap. Our chocolatiers-extraordinaire , Fred Molnar and Debbie Johnson, demonstrated just how many mushrooms can be made from 30 pounds of chocolate (quite a few, as it turns out). The display of chocolate mushrooms they produced was amazing (see main photo). We heard people expressing disbelieve that the mushrooms were actually chocolate; they looked so real. Mushroom door prizes were awarded at the end. This was an exceptional evening of gastronomic gluttony! Chocolate truffle basket, Wine and Mushroom 2012. Photo by Mary Lindsay Many thanks are due to the volunteers that came early to help transform the Community Center into a gala party room. The facility was bright and cheery and decorated for a party. Thanks to Vernetta McGuire for spearheading the decorating of the tables, Barbara Hanson for organizing the lighting effects and Rene Barone for setting up the beverage table. Needless to say, as with most of our events, we could not have done this without our willing volunteers who help before, during and after the event. You transformed the room for a gala party event and cleaned it all up afterward. Thank you yet again! Queens of All Things Culinary Margaret Carpenter & Dawn Engel Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Another Year, Another Great Wine and Mushroom Gala! The Wine and Mushroom Experience was Phenomenal Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

2013 Speaker Schedule Our 2013 Fungus Fair was once again graced by a great lineup of speakers and fascinating talks. We hope to see you next year! You can also browse the list of speakers for the Fair, and visit their bios. Include room(s): All Room 1 Room 3 Fair days Friday Saturday Sunday Kicking and Screaming: Dragging Mycology into the 21st Century with the Help of Citizen Scientists (aka YOU) Christian Schwarz ... ... Friday, January 11, 2013 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Friday Mycorrhizotopia: fungi are the puppet masters of the universe Britt Bunyard ... ... Friday, January 11, 2013 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Friday Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Henry Young ... ... Friday, January 11, 2013 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1 Friday Cooking Demonstration Jeff Emery Chef Bob Wynn ... Friday, January 11, 2013 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Room 3 Friday Introduction to Wild and Edible Mushrooms David Rust ... ... Friday, January 11, 2013 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Room 1 Friday Zen and the Art of Mushroom Hunting Debbie Viess ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1 Saturday Medicinal Mushrooms Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Room 3 Saturday Wheel of Fungi (Saturday) David Arora ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Room 3 Saturday Tales from the Cryptogams - Twelve Alternative Lifestyles from the Kingdom Fungi. Beware! Sex, Death and Insanity lie ahead Christian Schwarz ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Saturday Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Saturday Cooking Demonstration Chef Cal Stamenov ... ... Saturday, January 12, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3 Saturday Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of California Debbie Viess ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Room 1 Sunday From Aflatoxins to Zombies: weird weird weird fungi Britt Bunyard ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Room 3 Sunday History of Mushroom Dyes Dorothy Beebee ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Room 1 Sunday Wheel of Fungi (Sunday) David Arora ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Room 3 Sunday Mushroom Toxicology (Sunday) Henry Young ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Sunday Introduction to Mushroom Identification Mark Gillespie ... ... Sunday, January 13, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Sunday Cooking Demonstration with Wine Pairing Chef Maurice Dissels ... ... Executive Chef Maurice Dissels of Birks Restaurant and Assistant Winemaker, Meredith Miles of Fenestra Winery will conduct a cooking demonstration and wine… Show More Sunday, January 13, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Sunday

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News & Stories / Albion I, 2010 – A Great Time for All The Albion I foray was a great success with everyone finding edible and non-edible mushrooms. We had a full house of fungiphiles and enjoyed forays and an incredible Saturday evening potluck. Bill White • January 1, 2011 Corals (Albion I, 2010). Photo by Stephanie Maklan The species diversity was awesome with over 100 species identified (see list below). Also check out Maria Tanase’s article regarding look-alike Matsutake and Amanita silvicola buttons. Albion I, 2010. Photo by Stephanie Maklan Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Albion II, 2011 – Great Forays, Fungi and Food Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Join local forays in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay areas. Learn while exploring our local woods and fields with like-minded people. During the rainy season FFSC offers guided local mushroom forays, the best way to safely learn about finding wild fungi. Basket of mixed fungi. Photo by Dan Tischler We concentrate on finding, enjoying and learning a bit about some of our local mushrooms. We meet at a forested area in Santa Cruz County or the Monterey Bay area, talk about the types of mushrooms that can grow in the area's habitat, and then begin to hunt. Depending on the location chosen and the type of permit available, there may be some collection allowed; otherwise the goal will be education. If collection is allowed, we may hunt as a group and/or split up for a couple hours and then meet back together to show each other our fungal finds. The foray leader(s) will do our best to help you identify what you found, answer questions, and share knowledge. Always a fun family activity! The exact location is sent out to registered participants a couple of days before the foray. Please do not share the location with others. Occasionally some local forays may also include tailgate cooking (bring your own food and beverages) and tasting of any edibles collected. This will be announced in the foray's description. What to wear Layered warm clothing, sturdy footwear for hiking, and Tecnu if you get poison oak! Gloves for moving branches aside may also be useful. Activity level Some locations are relatively flat; others may involve steeper mountain roads or trails. When we collect as a group, we usually move fairly slowly while looking for and discussing mushrooms. If we split up, you can hike at your own pace. What to bring Basket or bucket to hold mushrooms, a knife and perhaps a small trowel. Waxed paper or brown paper bags to hold mushrooms (plastic bags are not recommended). A field guide if you have one (David Arora's All That The Rain Promises and More is a good choice for our area). Bring your own water or beverage to stay hydrated. Snacks are optional. What to read Before joining any foray, we ask that you read and follow FFSC's mushroom collection ethics and etiquette guidelines , to ensure that we continue to be welcome at foray locations. Beginners are welcome You don't need prior experience. That said, if you've never taken a mushroom ID class , we also encourage you to read FFSC's Learn about Wild Mushroom ID pages. Log. Photo by Dan Tischler Local Forays Join local forays in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay areas. Learn while exploring our local woods and fields with like-minded people. Past Local Forays December 6, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM December Local Foray November 1, 2025, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Local Fungus Foray-Nov 1, 2025 December 7, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Local Foray, December 2024 March 3, 2024, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Local Foray, March 2024 December 2, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Local Foray, December 2023 November 19, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Local Foray - Habitat Walk, November 2022 Load More 3 days to the event Saturday Habitat Hike Oct 24, 2026, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Quail Hollow Ranch County Park, 800 Quail Hollow Rd, Felton, CA 95018, USA Hello fellow Fungiphiles, foraging season is about to begin and I’d love for you to join us for a Habitat Hike! Buy Tickets Scheduled Local Forays