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News & Stories / Field Reports 2018 December Albion Foray Species List We didn't have much rain, but we found many smaller mushrooms. Katherine (Kitty) Elvin • January 4, 2019 Gomphidius in the Rain. Photo by Jim Austin Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2016 March Sierra Report Field Reports 2016 Alaska Foray Field Report Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Crab and Parmesan Stuffed Morels There are so many ways to stuff morels! Here's an approach we enjoyed at one of our Wine & Mushroom dinners. by John Lang Morchella snyderi. © RHMorrison (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 359683855) Method Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice morels in half vertically, and clean out any grit inside. In a medium bowl, gently combine the precooked crab meat, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese to taste, being careful not to break up the crab lumps much. (Feel free to add lemon juice, chives, or seasonings.) Fill morel halves with the crab filling. Place the stuffed morels on a rimmed baking sheet, then bake at 375°F for about 12 to 15 minutes. The morels should be fully tender, piping hot all the way through, and the filling should be lightly browned on top. Let cool for a minute, and serve. Editor's Note : Alternatively, you can try steaming the morels before stuffing them, and then baking them after stuffed. Just ensure the morels are fully cooked before serving them. Recipe contributed: March 1995 Objective: Appetizer Total Time: About 30 mins Yield: 12 stuffed morels Suggested Mushrooms: Morel (Morchella sp.) 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 12 large fresh morels (or 12 dried morels, reconstituted and patted dry) 8 oz (1 cup) precooked lump crab meat (picked over for shell fragments) 3 to 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise (to bind the crab) 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese (plus a little extra) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Field Reports Reports from Italy in 2007 We can find wild mushrooms everywhere! This month a few of our members share recent fungi finds in restaurants and markets in Italy. Deb • November 1, 2007 Amanita caesarea. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Foray to Mexico Adventures in Austria Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports How Many Mushrooms in One Day? I have always wondered how many mushroom species it would be possible to see in one day in Santa Cruz County. Since this fall has been so exceptionally fruitful for mushrooms, I decided to give it a go… How else to find out? Christian Schwarz • December 26, 2014 Found on that day in 2014. © Christian Schwarz Antrodia sp. (a small, large-pored species on Santa Cruz Mtn. manzanita). © Christian Schwarz I chose this time of the year because the fall mushroom assemblage is rapidly transitioning into the winter assemblage, briefly bumping up easily-seen diversity during the period of overlap. Hunting had to be spread out over 4 days (eleven hours), but I’m quite sure that all the mushrooms I encountered could have been found on either the 18th or the 21st. I ended up with 270 species (not all identified to species, but recognizable RTUs). To find out what was found in Santa Cruz County on that day in 2014, visit my post on Tumblr: A Pseudo-Big Day in Santa Cruz , Notes of a Mycophile Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Citizen Science - Amateur Ain't a Dirty Word Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings Stories from the April 1, 2011 Issue of Duff FFSC Members who foraged far fetched a number of fun stories for the April 2011 issue of Duff ... Wendy Wells • April 1, 2011 The constellation Mycelius Kepler Telescope Finds More Than New Planets in Distant Space For a year and a half now, NASA’s Kepler space telescope has been staring at a group of about 146,000 stars located near the constellation Mycelius. In all that time, month in and month out, Kepler’s digital eyes have barely blinked. But some of the stars have. NASA believes this is due to solar winds carrying clouds of mushroom spores through space. And that’s exactly what Kepler was designed to see. During one of these close up sessions near the Amyloidia Galaxy, scientists were startled to see a fairy ring galaxy, perhaps the source of the clouds of mushroom spores. --Submitted by David Rust Rare and Exotic Mushrooms Found in Scotts Valley Many people were awed by the presence of rare and beautiful mushrooms in the Cacaoaceae family at the Scotts Valley Community Center on Saturday, 19 March 2011. Of all colors and shapes, these exotic mushrooms evoked many “ooooohs” and “aaaaahs” from the gala revelers assembled that evening. Cacaoaceae Theobrominus chinsonensis, Caffinocybe molnarii, and other rare species Especially memorable were big and beautiful specimens of Theobrominus chinsonensis and Caffinocybe molnarii . Edibility of these rare species was confirmed by the ravenous crowd, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of confusion with poisonous species. Finding these fabulous fungi was a favorably fitting finale for a fun-filled fête of feasting and frolicking. --Submitted by Phil Carpenter, FFSC CEO and Science Advisor Button Mushrooms Found Growing in Trees In a rare moment for science, these Agaricus bisporus were found on a new host in an Oakland back yard. They are not believed to be parasitic. This remarkable discovery implies that common button mushrooms may be evolving to meet market demand for America’s salads. These mushrooms were sautéed with onions and chicken for a delightful dinner. The excited tree owners are looking forward to the next crop. --Submitted by David Rust Giant Snow Morels Found Near Pioneer The first Giant Snow Morels of the season were found near Pioneer on the Spring Equinox. You can clearly see them in the photo... --Submitted by Bill McGuire Brandi Discovers ‘Shrooms: A UCSC Student Adventure Follow Brandi’s spellbinding journey of mycological enlightenment on the BAMS website . Our sincere thanks to David Rust, who never fails to make us smile. We wait with bated breath for Part 2! Will Hugh Smith Ever Find Himself? Hugh Smith Looking for Hugh Smith. Photo by Hugh Smith --Submitted by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Stories from the April 1, 2009 Issue of Duff Writings Stories from the April 1, 2010 Issue of Duff Writings Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Culinary Diva Steps Down After 4 years of dazzling FFSC members with outstanding culinary events, René Seltzer is relinquishing leadership of the culinary committee (not to be confused with any insider mushroom trading scandal)! Patria Brown • November 1, 2002 Full crowd at a Holiday Potluck. Photo by Debbie Johnson René's enthusiasm and culinary talent will not be missed however, as she will continue to support the committee in it's quest to further the fungal feast. Thank you René for all the time, energy and inspiration you give to us all. The culinary committee is beginning its new year under the artful leadership of Vernetta McGuire, with the assistance of Patria Brown and Marilyn Fenn. Patria will be writing the culinary page for the Duff. If you have any information or recipes you wish to contribute please send it in! If you have ever considered participating on the culinary committee now is a great time to get involved. Our first event is the Annual Holiday Potluck. There are many ways to help make the evening a magical holiday event. The set up and decorating starts at 3:30 PM. Anyone interested in helping can contact the Culinary Minister. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Propagation of Propaganda Perpetuated... Letter from the Outgoing CEO Message from Our Outgoing CEO Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

2024 Fair Speakers Visitors at the 2024 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair were treated to great talks by these speakers. Talks: Friday: Mushroom Cooking Tips and Techniques Chef Bob Wynn FFSC Minister of Culinary and Sustenance Talks: Sunday: Mushrooms, Not Just for Breakfast Anymore Chef Chad Hyatt Chef and Author Talks: Friday: Mushrooms of Sea Islands, Sky Islands, & Dry Islands Saturday: Mushroom Bioregions of The United States Christian Schwarz Research Associate | UCSC Talks: Saturday: The top ten edible and poisonous wild mushrooms. Douglas Smith Photographer, Educator, and FFSC Science Advisor Talks: Saturday: Medicinal Mushrooms - Traditional Usage and Modern Science (Saturday) Sunday: Medicinal Mushrooms - Traditional Usage and Modern Science (Sunday) Dr. Bill Schoenbart Practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture Talks: Saturday: The Magic Mushroom Class Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Faculty, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Talks: Sunday: Mushroom Cultivation: Passive and Active Systems Kyle Garrone Production Manager, Far West Fungi Talks: Saturday: A Multi-Generational Hobby Saturday: Family friendly Kid's Interactive Mushroom Cooking Demo Sunday: A Multi-Generational Hobby Melany Kahn Author, Painter, Film Producer Talks: Sunday: Exploring the Unknown: Cryptic Mushroom Diversity In Your Backyard Monday: California: Land of the Year Round Mushroom Forage Noah Siegel Speaker, Author, Mycologist Talks: Friday: Introduction to mushroom identification (Session I) Sunday: Introduction to Mushroom Identification (Session II) Sunday: Intro to Mushroom Identification (Session III) Phil Carpenter FFSC Science Advisor, NAMA Representative, and past CEO Talks: Sunday: Montane Biomes on the Brink Thea Chesney Naturalist Talks: Sunday: Introduction to mushroom cultivation Vellany Pierce FFSC Prime Minister

News & Stories / Field Reports 2006 Albion I Foray Species List There were 107 species identified this year, which is a fairly low number for the December. foray. In comparison, last year was the best year, and 158 species were identified. Douglas Smith • February 1, 2007 Aureoboletus mirabilis. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Albion I 2006 collections. Photo by Douglas Smith Many people commented that it was an unusual year, the season was off, not quite going just yet. Many species were found this year that haven’t been seen for years. One strange fact is that only 8 new species were found this year. Usually 15-20% of the species ID’d were new species not seen before, but this year there were only a few. Makes me wonder if we are getting close to seeing all the species that are possible up there, but I’m sure that is not true. If we could get better with Ramaria and Cortinarius we could have had a dozen more species on this list. Full species list below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2007 Spring Foray Species List 2007 NAMA Annual Foray Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

A Little Buggy. Photo by Karen Hilker A Little Buggy Karen Hilker During a walk in the Sierra, I snapped some pictures of a light tan blob on a charred tree... Camera Canon PowerShot S3 IS Focal L. 6mm Aperture f/2.7 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO Flash Off Photo taken on July 8, 2011 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Santa Cruz is blessed with some of the finest foray habitat on the West Coast. Fungal enthusiasts, whether taxonomist, dye artisan or edible collector, can choose from hundreds of species available in the area. With this bounty so close at hand and popular, many intrepid FFSC members heed the call of far-away places as they venture away from the Central Coast. FFSC members adventure up and down the West Coast and to points farther afield as they participate in FFSC’s long-distance forays, private ad-hoc forays, and organized events with other mycological groups. FFSC's long-distance forays are usually 2- to 4-day group trips, and we stay at campgrounds or rustic cabins. We allocate at least one day for organized activities, such as a group meeting before we all go out to hunt, a delightful potluck dinner and mushroom ID assistance. Other activities vary per location and season. Before joining any foray, we ask that you review the Collection Ethics and Etiquette page and familiarize yourself with our Must-Know to Participate in Long-Distance Forays guidelines. Costs For most long-distance forays, the fee (if any) covers your accommodations. We may add a small surcharge to help the club defray our annual operational costs (insurance, etc.). Meals are bring-your-own and potluck, unless otherwise specified. These forays are organized and led by our club ministers, who are volunteers. You must be an FFSC member to sign up for and participate in our long-distance forays. (We also offer one-day local forays in the Santa Cruz area, for both members and non-members.) Popular Long Distance Forays Our long-distance foray calendar is subject to change each year depending on environmental factors (weather, fires, and what’s coming up) and the availability of group accommodations. Here are some of the forays we arrange most years. Subscribe to the FFSC Calendar or join our Contact FFSC to find out when registration opens for each trip. Albion Long Distance Forays Our Albion forays are weekend-long trips to the Mendocino area, where chanterelles, black trumpets, and more can be found. Event Overview 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. Event Overview Alaska Long Distance Foray Our Alaska Long Distance Foray is a joint event between the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and Bill White's Alaska Sports Lodge on the banks of the Kenai River in Sterling Alaska. Event Overview 44 days to the event Albion I Long-Distance Foray, December 2026 Dec 04, 2026, 3:00 PM – Dec 06, 2026, 11:00 AM Albion Field Station, 34000 Albion St, Albion, CA 95410, USA Save the date for our December foray in Mendocino! Enjoy fruiting fungi, pleasant people, feast on fabulous foods, and refreshing rains. Buy Tickets Scheduled Long-Distance Forays Past Long-Distance Forays August 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM – September 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM Alaska Long-Distance Foray, September 2026 January 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM – January 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM Albion II Long-Distance Foray, January 2026 December 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM – December 14, 2025 at 11:00 AM Albion I Long-Distance Foray, December 2025 August 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM – August 23, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Alaska Foray February 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM – March 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Albion III Special Event - February January 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM – January 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM 2025 Albion II Foray, January | Guest Speaker: Chad Hyatt Load More Alaska Foray participants Long-Distance Forays Long-distance forays are overnight (or longer) trips farther afield. They carry the allure of new fungal finds, amazing culinary pleasures, and collaborative education adventure.

News & Stories / Stewardship Notes from the CEO — April 2001 Greetings to all, Spring is drawing close and we're all looking forward to morel season, including the Spring Foray and whatever surprises Horst and Bill may cook up for us! Deb • April 1, 2001 Tubaria furfuracea sp. 'IN01' © Lisa Tesler (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 341689933) The Beginner-Intermediate ID class is drawing to a close, and sincere thanks go out to Bill Maxfield, class coordinator, and his partners (in slime?) Henry Young and Phil Carpenter for their efforts. "Really outstanding" were the words one member used to describe the class. Plan to attend when classes resume in October! The Wine & Mushroom Gala in March was a huge success. I wasn't alone in regarding it as the best ever; the sentiment was unanimous! Nine wineries poured, FFSC members brought a great variety of exquisite food, and the room literally sparkled, thanks to the Culinary Committee's crack decorating team. Culinary Minister Rene Seltzer's boundless energy brought the whole event together, with a fantastic team effort on the part of the committee. Thanks to all of you! May will bring our biennial elections for officers of the Board of Directors, or Ministers, as we prefer to call ourselves. As noted in our bylaws, printed herein, officers are divided into two groups, elected and appointed . Terms run for two years, with job descriptions given in the bylaws . The slate of officers are proposed by the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations will be taken from the floor at the April General Meeting. Voting on the slate of officers will take place at the May General Meeting for elected positions. Appointed ministers will be designated to fill positions by the Ministry. I encourage everyone to take a look at the position descriptions to see if there is a job you'd like to take on or provide assistance for. Taking part in the operation of the club is really a lot of fun. It's an opportunity to get to know a great group of people, take part in planning events you'd like to see happen, and a guaranteed good dinner once a month at the Ministers Meetings! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or ideas. We welcome your input and ideas. To quote Phil Carpenter (former President for Life), "It would really be interesting to have more than one candidate for an office!" See you at the meeting! Debbie Johnson, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Notes from the CEO — March 2001 Stewardship Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Matsutake with Garlic and Ginger When guest speaker Gerry Miller was here in December 1984, he exhibited great excitement when told that matsutake occurs in the Santa Cruz Mountains. by Melanie Leuca Tricholoma murrillianum. © joe nudell (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs:196478327) Method Slice the matsutake very thinly. Slice and mince the garlic and the ginger. Sauté the garlic and ginger in butter until the garlic begins to taste sweet. Add the matsutake, and slowly sauté until limp. Add two to three dashes of soy sauce to the pan, and the dish is ready to eat. As an experiment, I tried adding a dash of dry white wine to the pan as a result, and was pleased with the result. Recipe contributed: January 1985 When asked how else he prepared them besides soups and broths, he gave a recipe for a simple and (here I can speak from personal experience) strongly addicting dish. The effect is that your taste buds are assaulted by many flavors simultaneously — garlic, ginger, matsutake, sugar, and salt — all proclaim their presence at once. Immediately after trying one matsutake this way, I cooked the other five and devoured them. I insist you try them this way if you get any matsutake! Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 30 mins Yield: Varies Suggested Mushrooms: Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare, Tricholoma matsutake, Tricholoma murrillianum) 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 One 8" diameter matsutake 1 garlic clove about half the size of the end of your thumb Sweet, unsalted butter About half to a third as much fresh ginger as garlic Two to three dashes soy sauce A dash of dry white wine (optional) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe