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News & Stories / 2019 Elections. May 15 2019 Tired of politics? Here is your opportunity to engage in fairly non-controversial and rewarding issues on a very local level, without a grueling, eye-rolling 2 year campaign period! Sue Willis • March 19, 2019 You're the missing piece! (based on a photo by Katherine Elvin) The Fungus Federation is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We have all the trappings, including a set of bylaws and a Board of Directors, known as Ministers in Fungusfedspeak. Elections are held every two years at the last meeting of the season. This year's elections will be held at the Membership meeting on May 15th at the Harvey West Scout House. Below you'll find a list of the Board Members up for election. Please note that only the Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister positions require having served previously as a board member. The other positions can be held by any FFSC member. This is a super opportunity to get involved in the operation of the Fungus Federation, direct and shape the club's activities, and get to know a great group of people. Again, THIS IS AN ELECTION! You can step up for any office, even if there is already a name listed. Several positions have provisional candidates who are open to either stepping aside for an enthusiastic new person. To get a sense of what is entailed in these positions, check out the Ministerial Duties in the bylaws, see if anything looks interesting, and chat up the relevant ministers. They'll be happy to talk about what they do so you can see if a particular job might be a good fit. Let Prime Minister Vellany Pierce know if you'd like to participate! Elected Positions: Prime Minister : Vellany Pierce Vice Prime Ministe r: Open - Richard Rammer will run but would welcome an actual race (or perhaps step aside for another candidate) Minister of Propaganda: Open - Kitty Elvin will continue but welcomes new volunteers contribute to this position. Minister of the Exchequer (Finance) : Margaret Carpenter Minister of Membership: Open Minister of Programs: Richard Lyness has volunteered to return to this position, but is open to stepping aside for a fresh contributor. Minister of Long Distance Forays: Open - Kitty Elvin will continue if necessary but would love to pass this essential and rewarding position on. Minister of Local Forays : Dan Tischler. Dan would like to form a Local Foray Committee to increase variety and frequence of local forays. Scribe: Andrea Wilson can continue or pass to an aspiring scribe. Super intro position, no knowledge of mushrooms necessary. Stores : Andrea Wilson Science Advisors: Henry Young, Christian Schwarz, Phil Carpenter Appointed Positions: These positions are not part of this year's elections process, but please let Vellany Pierce or a board member know if you have an interest in one of these! Sustenance : Bob Wynn Culinary : Bob Wynn continues in Culinary and would welcome a co-conspirator for planning and setup duties Video/Media : Vellany Pierce, welcomes members of potential media committee Website : Open Education : Jeanne Gonda Fair : Les Seltzer NAMA Representative: Phil Carpenter Minister at Large : Open . The updated elected ministers are found at this page: FFSC Ministers Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Bylaws 2026 Revision Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fair News 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. Peter Mu • January 20, 2026 Visitors enjoying outdoor vendors at the 2026 Fair This year, the 52nd fair reached more people, more deeply, than ever before. More than 3,500 attendees joined us over the weekend. 12 educational talks drew an estimated 1,100 participants, while 300+ children and adults explored hands-on learning through mushroom crafts, dyeing, face painting, and creative play. 75 guests gathered for a special after-hours mushroom dinner and wine pairings. It was also an exceptional year for mycological research: 275 mushroom specimens were collected, sampled, and submitted for DNA sequencing during the Fair, contributing valuable data to the broader scientific community and advancing our shared knowledge of fungal biodiversity. Plus, over 6,800 mushroom observations were recorded in the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair MycoBlitz project on iNaturalist! The Fair reinvested directly into the local ecosystem—paying over $6,000 to speakers, mycologists and students; supporting partners such as the London Nelson Community Center and the Museum of Natural History; and providing 26 local artisans and small businesses with vending opportunities , while incurring no overhead cost to FFSC. None of this happens without volunteers. 169 volunteers filled 94.9% of all positions during the Fair, contributing over 500 hours of service collectively. Volunteers collected and identified specimens, set up and disassembled exhibits, staffed doors and tables, loaded and unloaded trucks, educated the community, and supported each other. Many of you committed your entire weekend and more to the event. The Fungus Fair is more than an annual event. It is a living expression of FFSC’s mission—education made accessible, science made communal, and appreciation for fungi shared widely. I’d like to take a moment to express my deeply felt gratitude towards all the volunteers who made the event possible--especially to members of the Fungus Fair Committee who tirelessly volunteered throughout the year to plan and implement this event. Thank you. Peter Mu Co-Chair, Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee Keeping the FUN in FUNgus at the 2026 Fair After Hours Dinner Trametes betulina and versicolor at the 2026 Fungus Fair Visitors exploring the craft room at the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Doug Smith shows iNaturalist at the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair 2026 Fungus Fair attendees browsing display. Photo by Shea Moss Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2026 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Fomes fomentarius, the “Tinder Fungus” Most of us enjoy the process of walking through moist forests in search of fungi for the table. For some of us, it is the hope of finding a rare or unusual species that draws us to the woods. But in a time before matches and Bic lighters, a hike in the woods yielded fungi that held the promise of a fire . by Cortinarius Fomes fomentarius amadou tinder. Photo by S Labiste F fomentarius (2014). Photo by Walt Sturgeon A while back, four small specimens of Fomes fomentarius were gifted to me by a friend returning from the FFSC Alaska foray. I was delighted, but not for the usual reasons. Most of us enjoy the process of walking through moist forests in search of fungi for the table. For some of us, it is the hope of finding a rare or unusual species that draws us to the woods. But in a time before matches and Bic lighters, a hike in the woods yielded fungi that held the promise of a fire. In Europe, back in the day when flint and steel started your fire, “German tinder” was sold. It was an industry of sorts involving the collection of Fomes fomentarius , a birch-loving conk. From this fungus, a light brown felt was produced with the feel and look of soft buckskin. This fungal felt is commonly known as “amadou”. This processed polypore felt had many uses. It could be fashioned into clothing like hats and vests when leather was scarce. But for German tinder, it was saturated with salt peter (potassium nitrate). This is the same stuff that gives gunpowder much of its explosive force. The folks who made the tinder didn’t necessarily know the chemistry, but they sure knew how to make tinder “quick”, quick to catch fire that is. The source for this salt came from soiled straw from stables heaps. Piled in rows, the urea in this stable waste underwent bacterial decomposition to form first calcium nitrite, then eventually calcium nitrate. Water was poured through the heap, collected, then filtered through white wood ash (containing potassium carbonate). The calcium nitrate salt converts to potassium nitrate as it reacts with the potassium carbonate. This nitrate rich solution was then decanted, sopped up with the amadou, then dried. Natural sources of potassium nitrate crystals can sometimes be collected directly from bat cave walls and old stables. ( A note of caution here . If you try this at home, and you get a little too much saltpeter in your amadou, be prepared for an explosion rather than “quick” tinder. Burn injury is a real risk.) Fomes fomentarius amadou tinder. Photo by S Labiste But Germany’s tinder manufacturers were not the first to discover the relationship between Fomes fomentarius and fire. Long before nitrate-enhanced amadou was in use, before Europe even had cities, this fungus was in use as a tinder. In 1991 a late Neolithic man melted out of a glacier in the Ötztal region of the Italian Alps. Ötzi, as he came to be named, carried tinder fungus ( Fomes fomentarius ). He may also have carried it for its medicinal qualities, but his knife shows traces of marcasite, so he apparently used the knife as a striker in his pyrite/flint fire kit. The last time he used the kit was 5,400 years ago. Most likely he needed the Fomes fomentarius he carried to kindle a fire in that alpine winter environment. Even without creating a fungal felt, the trauma layer of this conk can be scraped into a fluffy mass then ignited with a small spark. The term “amadou” can mean either the felt or the fluff from this fungus. To appreciate amadou one has to realize how difficult it can be to obtain really good tinder material in the wild. I’m talking about tinder that will catch a spark from flint and steel or flint and pyrite/marcasite without first being charred. Most flint and steel enthusiasts use charred punk wood, charred cotton cloth, or charred plant pith. Unless you carry some form of charcloth in the field with you, you have to first make a fire to make the charcloth. If you are relying on flint and steel or flint and pyrite for that fire, you are in a bit of a fix without charcloth. So it’s useful to know about tinders that work without charring. Mors Kochansky, survival guru of the boreal forest, teaches the processing and use of this tinder material. Amadou isn’t the only good tinder, but it sure is an appealing one. You will see Fomes fomentarius referred to as both "tinder fungus" and "false tinder fungus". It is also known as "horse hoof" fungus, "tinder polypore", "tinder conk" and "touchwood fungus" among others. Even more confusing, the term “false tinder fungus” is applied to both Fomes fomentarius and to a similar birch-loving conk, Phellinus igniarius . Common names can be confusing since they vary depending on the region. The terms tinder fungus and true tinder fungus are also used to describe an entirely different fungus, Inonotus obliquus (chaga). Chaga is an incredible tinder which can be used without processing, or it can be powdered, but it does not produce a felt. Like Fomes fomentarius , it is found on birch (though not exclusively birch) and is rare in our area. Amadou felt had other uses. It has an amazing ability to absorb moisture. Dentists once used it to dry teeth before a blast of air came into vogue. Podiatrists used it to pack the sides of toenails prone to inflammation. It has been used to staunch bleeding and to serve as a wound dressing. To this day fly fishermen use it to dry fishing flies and it can be purchased on line. It has medicinal qualities, was used as a razor strop, and it is even used to make “smoking hats”… wait, a flammable hat for smoking? What were those Germans and Hungarians thinking? https://medium.com/@istvan.daraban/the-worlds-last-amadou-makers-korond-iii-9694114ffa4a Then too, the tube layer has its use in relation to fire. A small section of the tubes, set to rest in a pool of fat or oil becomes a wick for a candle. It draws the liquid to the flame and remains unconsumed until the oil is completely burned. It, and the tubes of other polypores, appear to have been used as wicks in the fat lamps of Cro-Magnon man. No wonder it flaunts its relationship to fire in its name. The Latin word fōmĕs means touchwood or tinder. Mushrooms covered: Fomes fomentarius (tinder fungus, hoof fungus) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

News & Stories / 38th Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Rocked! The 38th Annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair was a huge success under the capable leadership of our fair co-chairs, Rene Barone and Phil Carpenter. We opened at 3:00 on Friday to a surprisingly large group of attendees. Wendy Wells • February 1, 2012 Mushrooms with banana slug. Illustration by Kelly Finan for 2012 Fair All workshops, talks and cooking demonstrations were heavily attended and we had over 200 species on display. A special thank-you to all our volunteers is in order. The Fair is run entirely on volunteer time and we could not do it without you! Kudos also to the Fair Committee members who work throughout the year to plan, organize and execute the many projects required to create a fair. And a very special thank-you to our foray participants. The challenges of a dry and rain-less winter were met above and beyond expectations. Many of you forayed far and wide to gather species and make the fair a success. Login to see all our volunteers below! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2007 Fungus Fair — Thank You Fungus Fair 2009 — Better Than Ever! Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports 2013 Echo Summit Foray Recap Our 2013 Echo Summit foray was met with stunning early Autumn weather, warm sunny days and clear night skies. The view from the California Alpine Club lodge was amazing and the company exceptional. Wendy Wells • September 21, 2013 Echo Summit Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Echo Summit 2015 Foray Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Website Review: James Arthur — Wisdom or Balderdash? Flaky? Really flaky? Compelling? It's hard to deny that his ideas are thought-provoking... Larry Payne • March 1, 2000 Pleuroflammula subsulphurea. © Alan Rockefeller (CC-BY) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 395496334) It may be that the first time you check out his website you might find it a little flaky. Then again, it may be that after reflecting on what this guy has to say, after giving yourself enough time to digest his theory, you may just come away thinking the site is really flaky. Or, you may find it compelling. But no matter how you feel, it would be hard to deny that his ideas are thought-provoking. The website* is the home of James Arthur .. . James Arthur ... James Arthur .... (There, now you get an idea how the website begins. I felt like I was listening to one of those old Saturday Night Live Al Franken bits where he kept repeating "Hi, I'm Al Franken.") However, once you can get past all the self promoting (though his resume does sound pretty impressive) you finally arrive at the real purpose of the website, James Arthur's commentary on the theory that mushrooms played a vital role in the development of early religion and social development. Be prepared to take a good hour or two pondering James Arthur's wisdom or balderdash, depending on your take of his presentation. My own reaction was this: Deep (whether in thought or manure I'll leave for you to guess), tedious, nice pictures. * The original website link was compromised, so you can preview James Arthur's book on Google Books if you're curious: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mushrooms_and_Mankind/qSL9jRTzXx4C?hl=en Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chef Eric Carter Chef Instructor - Advanced Culinary Arts Chef Eric Carter is director at Cabrillo College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program. In addition to classroom teaching, Eric’s responsibilities include the Pino Alto Restaurant at the Sesnon House, where students prepare and serve carefully prepared meals in beautiful surroundings. Another recent offering under Eric’s guidance is the Dare to Pair food and wine pairing event, offered with the Surf City Vintners. Aspiring chefs and vintners collaborate to create sublime pairings. Food and wine pairings, especially involving mushrooms, will be offered at the 2014 Fungus Fair After-Hours Dinner on Saturday, January 11. Chef Eric Carter will collaborate with Eric Baugher, Director of Winemaking at Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Winery. Chef Eric Carter. © Pino Alto Restaurant.webp Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks

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

Chicken with Olives, Caramelized Onions, and Sage Marje Young’s chicken dinner was wildly successful at one of our Echo Summit forays, with many people clamoring for the recipe. by Marje Young Red onions (stock photo) Method Season the chicken: Coat chicken with spices and let rest. Sauté the white onions in oil until golden (about 30 min). Add honey and sauté another 15 minutes until browned. Spread in bottom of baking pan large enough to hold chicken in a single layer. Brown the chicken (use the same frying pan) and place on top of the browned white onions. Put the sautéed red onions on top of the chicken. Deglaze frying pan with 1⁄2 cup white wine until bubbling stops. Add remaining wine. Boil about 9 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2 cups. Pour into baking pan around chicken. Tuck sage, garlic cloves and bay leaves around chicken. Sprinkle with pepper. Taste sauce and adjust (I find I often need a bit more honey depending on acidity of the wine). Cover pan tightly and bake chicken 30 minutes. Sprinkle olives over top of chicken making sure some of the olives get some down into the sauce. Bake uncovered until chicken is tender, basting once or twice. Recipe contributed: October 2010 This is a chicken dish, but of course you can also add your own mushrooms! At our Echo Summit foray, this dish was served with green beans with caramelized boletes, quinoa cooked with vegetables, and sautéed kale. We put some of the chicken sauce over the quinoa. A delicious combination! Objective: Complementary Total Time: 2.5 to 3 hours Yield: 8 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Without mushrooms (non applicabilis, sine fungis) 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 Seasoned Chicken Eight chicken thighs 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. sweet paprika 1 tsp. turmeric 1/3 cup olive oil White Onions 1 1⁄4 pounds white onions 1 1⁄2 tbs. honey Red Onions 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1⁄4 pounds red onions Sauté red onions until golden and set aside Wine Sauce 1 bottle white wine 9 or more sage leaves 8 or more garlic cloves 3-5 bay leaves Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Field Reports Alaska Foray Species List — August 21-28, 2004 Twenty one FFSCers converged at Bill & Gerri White’s lodge on the Kenai River for a foray this August. It was an extreme drought year by Alaska standards: we had California weather and yet we identified 81 species. John Brown • November 1, 2004 Lyophyllum decastes. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) More were collected and our identifiers were diligent, but remember, this was a vacation! Some mysteries were left for another time, which rumor has it might be next year. Foray group at Skilak Lake, Alaska Foray 2004. Photo by Paul Kutis Our first foray to Skilak Lake yielded several species of Leccinum right off the bat. Some mushrooms were familiar, others were new. Both puffballs and moose nuggets were abundant, and at first glance it’s easy to get excited about the wrong thing! Bill and Gerri graciously opened their beautiful home to us for a fish feed, potlucks, tastings and mushroom ID. One tasting featured Rozites caperata (rare down here and delicious!), Agaricus pattersonae , Leccinum insigne , Lyophyllum decastes and Laetiporus sulphureus . Outstanding Latkes with Leccinum were made by Paul Kutis, and chocolate mushrooms imported from Santa Cruz by Phred Molnar rounded out the sampler. Mushrooming and hiking on the Kenai Peninsula were the primary, but by no means only, activity. Silver salmon were running and several people caught limits on multiple days. The sashimi was outstanding! Razor clams were abundant and succulent. Kenai Fjords and Prince William Sound were incredibly beautiful, and Homer is an interesting and picturesque town. The Pratt Museum had outstanding interactive displays about the area’s natural and cultural history and included a mushroom quilt in its collection. A number of people enjoyed swimming in the warmer pothole lakes. All in all, it was a great trip and we had a lot of fun! Thanks to Bill and Gerri White for making it all possible. - Debbie Johnson, Minister of Propaganda More Species Observations John Brown at the ID table, Alaska Foray 2004. Photo by Paul Kutis Sunny weather greeted us. It was warm enough that three forays included a dip in the lake, and though our last day wasn’t so warm, we still found the spirit to moon the tour boat at the glacier. We got a hoot from their guide: “There you have it, folks, and at absolutely no charge.” We turned, waved, laughed, and then hiked back out. We had a few surprises while foraging. Lyophyllum decastes kept showing up in clumps at the base of trees. Now we know where they grow when they don’t have paths or roads. Leucopaxillus albissimus ’s odor seemed off, and it didn’t always have forking gills. There were far too many unfamiliar cortices, though that doesn’t really fit well in ‘surprises’. Igor Malcevski greatly improved the ID table: A Washington resident, he recognized many of the mushrooms with which we were unfamiliar. He also made clam tubes for several people to go razor clamming, and I think Bill White inherited them, should you go next year. By the way, Igor is trying to organize a Washington foray for next year - more to come on this subject. We ended up with 81 species. The paucity of tree fungi was more a reflection of my unwillingness to ID these than their actual scarcity. Bill White did a couple. In fact, besides scouting for us and making the trip enjoyable for all, Bill spent a great deal of time at the ID table. An encounter with a hornet nest dimmed Henry’s enthusiasm at the ID table till near the foray’s end. Never seen him move quite so fast, either. - John Brown, Science Minister FFSC members can login for the complete list of species below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Kenai Peninsula Foray, Alaska 2005 Field Reports Foraging in Alaska in 2008 Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings Mystical Glow in the Dark Dark Woods Don’t you just love tales of the elusive, finally experienced? The green flash of sunset over water, the evanescent glow of the Jack o’ Lantern mushroom... Debbie Viess relates a really magical story. Debbie Viess • February 1, 2013 Omphalotus olivascens. Photo by Debbie Viess I had been cooped up in my house for too many days, so I dashed over to my fave park in Oakland, Huckleberry Preserve, to do a brisk, late afternoon walk and glory in the damp. For once I decided to lighten my load, so no camera, no binocs, just a bit of water and some well-appreciated layers of warm clothing. Original Headline from February 2013 Duff As I broke off a piece of likely-looking crust fungi from a rotten log at the park entrance (since taking Tom Bruns’ crust class at NAMA, I have fallen hard for this surprisingly interesting group of fungi), a woman came up along the trail and said to me: “You’re a Mycologist!” Busted. She then said that she had taken a class with me somewhere. So much for anonymity. I told her that crusts didn’t look like much in hand but got pretty spectacular under the scope. She just had to take my word for it, though. But after her, no one. Nothing like rain and mud to clear out the tourists. I pretty much had the place to myself, which is just the way I like it. Well, just me and the plants and birds and fungi, one big happy family. The red under-brim of my rain hat is really pissing off the Ruby Crowned Kinglets, though, since they consider it to be a color signaling aggressive faux pas. ..not much I can do about that, just be grateful that they may be feisty, but they are also very, very small. I made my apologies to them as I walked by. Can’t please everyone. The woods were gorgeous and fungi filled: mycenas, candy caps forming a conga line on a vertical mossy bank right along the trail (too small to pick and so pretty to see), a mystery Hygrophorus, Camarophyllus russocoriaceus , with its refreshing odor of cedar, Hygrocybe punicea , that big red waxy, ridiculously small white mycenas dusted into tree bark moss, a tiny Xerocomus sp., Stereum and Turkey tails, bright and refreshed by the rain, and at days end and as I came upon the last twists of the trail Oh! My! God! A huge fruiting of Omphalotus olivascens . It spilled along the back side of a big eucalyptus stump, and sprawled down into the canyon, following the buried root system. Best sighting ever, and no camera!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. While I mentally plotted to return to take a photo (and it would not be easy since there was no good vantage point, it just dropped straight down off the trail) I realized just what kind of mushroom I had there...a bioluminescent one, and darkness just a shot away. Why not just seize the moment and observe the bioluminescence directly in nature? Of course, I had no flashlight, but I know the trail well, having walked it oh, maybe a thousand times, and it was pretty close to the entrance and my eyes would be adjusted to the dark...so I decided to wait it out and see what I could see. It was 4:30. I figured that it would start getting dark after 5, so what the hey. I plunked myself down atop the stump and settled in for the wait. A female Great Horned Owl woke up and started her contact calls, calling for her mate. She sounded so lonely and there was no answering hoot, so I finally gave a hoot myself. As dusk fell, she flew beneath me into a opening, and rose to a hidden perch. Then she flew a bit closer. I sat still and quiet, startling another bird coming in to roost, and a couple of late afternoon hikers, too. At five pm, the owl’s mate started calling back. But still there was a bit of light in the sky, too much for my eyes to perceive any possible spectral glow. Once the sun dipped, the temps did too, and I was very grateful for every bit of clothing that I had brought along.And still I waited. By now it was too dark to make out much detail. I knew that the ground behind the stump dropped sharply, and my viewing vantage from above was not great, so I inched along the side of the stump at a crouch, and grabbed onto a thick huckleberry branch on my right, to stabilize myself in case I slipped, and waited some more. I started to notice a glow on the wood of the stump just inches from my face, in the cracks of the bark. Darned if the Omphalotus mycelia wasn’t glowing, too! As the darkness grew thicker I started to see light along the edges of the Omphalotus caps, borne in thick, cascading fungal scallops below me. The wind was blowing away from the trail and on and down into the canyon and I stated to see puffs of phosphorescence...could the spores be bioluminescent, too? Oh man, this is SO cool! In the back of my head was the thought that my husband David was probably getting worried at home...I had claimed to be returning for dinner, heck I claimed to be making dinner, but this was an opportunity to be seized, and I had no way to contact him. I couldn’t even keep checking my watch since it glowed and ruined my night vision. Screw it, I was in for a pound.Finally, after watching the caps glow and feeling guilty over David and starting to worry just a bit about how the heck I was gonna find my way out, I started to leave...but was drawn back one more time. This time, I laid on top of the stump and looked down... The edges of the caps gently pulsed with eerie green bioluminescence. In fact, there was a spill of spectral light from the stump right below my face and flowing down into the canyon. Wow. I had to drag myself away. Heading back for that last quarter mile, I did my best Helen Keller imitation, using my hands (brushing sword ferns that lined the path) and feet to help find the path. I knew where I was supposed to be, and I could still see a bit of light at the very top of the trail above me, but I sure couldn’t see very much at my feet! Luckily my instincts took over, and I slowly but surely came up the trail. At one point I almost panicked when I thought that I had lost the trail, but I stayed calm and persevered. Whew. Back safe to the car at 6:30, I called David first thing, and yes, he was relieved to hear from me and about to come out looking for me. If indeed I had gotten off trail I would have been grateful to have seen his flashlight, but all was well. Better than merely well, it was magical. For the price of a little bodily warmth and a bit more time than anticipated, I observed an awesome natural phenomenon. Just me and the spooks. Cool beans. Debbie Viess. Photo by David Rust Debbie Viess, AKA Amanitarita, in modest Muscaria regalia. Upper ‘shroom from Wine & Mushroom party last year. Can you find another bit of muscaria kitsch NOT touching her body? Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chef Mazi's Perfect Rice A Mazi family favorite, this recipe uses stock and powdered mushrooms with the rice in a standard rice cooker for a more full flavored and medicinal version of a standard starch. by Chef Zachary Mazi Queen Boletes (Mendocino 2016. Photo by Katherine Elvin Method Chicken (or Mushroom) Stock Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring stock to a boil with all ingredients, reduce to a simmer, and continue to simmer for 3-5 hours or longer, skimming off the surface scum that rises. Rice Put all the rice ingredients and stock in a rice cooker and press go! Makes 4 cups of rice. Recipe contributed: March 2013 I love collecting my own mushrooms and drying them for later use. Shiitake mushrooms, even the dried ones from the store, have a unique quality of increasing their vitamin D2 content by up to 41,000% when placed in the sun. Fresh mushrooms can be dried in the sun for the same effect. This reaction can ensure plenty of vitamin D during the winter months if you plan it right. I estimate the amount by stuffing as many mushrooms as will fit into my herb grinder and powdering the mushrooms. Note : This recipe was originally published by Chef Mazi in the March 2013 issue of Duff. Objective: Side or first course Total Time: About 5 hours Yield: About 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) 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 Chicken (or Mushroom) Stock 1 lb. Onions, chopped 0.5 lb. carrots, chopped 0.5 lb. celery, chopped 5-6 gallons of cold water 5-6 lb. chicken (bones=more body, meat=more flavor) or 0.5-1 lb. of dry mushrooms* or more, varied by your desire. Note : Boletus sure do make a tasty stock, but a good mix is a wonderful way to go! Adding fresh mushrooms will yield more color and more full bodied flavor. Bouquet Garni (bundle of herbs tied up together) 20 peppercorns 6 sprigs thyme 1 large bay leaf 10 stems parsley Optionally, use also sage, lavender, etc. Go wild. Rice 2 C rice (any variety, forbidden and long grain brown basmati have the richest flavor) 4 C stock (chicken, mushroom, or vegetable) 1/4 to 1/2 C dry powdered mushroom (oyster and shiitake are delicious) 1 to 2 T coconut oil or butter Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe