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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 Foraging in Alaska in 2008 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chewy Noels What, you may ask, is a Chewy Noel? If you’ve been to a FFSC event (circa 2006), you’ve probably had them: they’re the mysterious chewy, nutty confections John Brown sometimes makes. by John Brown Holiday party dessert table Method Preheat oven to 350° Separate 4 eggs, beat till stiff whites, then yolks, mix together. Add 2 cups white sugar, ¼ cup molasses and 2 tbsp. vanilla, mix. (You may substitute white sugar/molasses with a 1 lb. of brown sugar.) Separately mix ⅝ cups flour (10 Tbsp), ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, and add to above mixture. Melt ½ cube (2 oz. or 4 Tbsp.) salted butter into a 9"x13" pan. Crumble 2 cups walnuts (12 oz. if weighed) into goo, pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes. When done, it can be burnt on top & collapsed in middle. Doneness test: toothpick comes out clean, but remember that the bottom of cake is intentionally gooey. Cut around edge of pan while still hot. Cool, remove from pan, cut into pieces & roll in powdered sugar. Recipe contributed: December 2006 I call them "mysterious" because until I read the ingredients, I had always thought they involved dates, or carob, or something, well, mysterious. Nary a mushroom in them, but they’ll be a fine addition to your holiday celebrations. Objective: Dessert Total Time: About an hour Yield: Varies by appetite 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 4 eggs* 2 cups white sugar 1/4 cup molasses 2 tsp. vanilla 5/8 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cube (2 oz) salted butter 2 cups walnuts 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling pieces in) * If making a double batch, besides doubling everything add an extra egg. If making a double batch, besides doubling everything add an extra egg. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Phil Carpenter, FFSC Science Advisor, has been awarded the 2023 Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award by the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) ! Sue Willis • August 3, 2023 Phil Carpenter receiving Knighton Award. Photo credit: Brennon Strnad The Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award was established by the NAMA Board of Trustees to recognize and encourage persons who have distinguished themselves in service to their local clubs. It is named for the Knightons, whose efforts began the North American Mycological Association in 1967. The annual award consists of: A plaque Publicity for the winner and club in The Mycophile A one-year membership in the organization Rregistration, housing and foray fees for the next NAMA Foray. Each year's recipient is selected by the three most recent recipients of the Award. Every NAMA-affiliated mycological club may nominate one candidate whom it feels has performed meritorious service during the current or preceding year, which has to be described! The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of professional and amateur mycologists with over 90 affiliated mycological societies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Phil was presented with the award at the 2023 NAMA National Foray in North Carolina, with over 400 amateur and professional mycologists in attendance. Read a summary of Phil's contributions on pages 9-11 of The Mycophile Quarterly (July August September 2023 issue). Phil Carpenter. (Photo credit: Dan Tischler) Congratulations, Phil! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO Time Lapsed Laetiporous Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Maccheroncini alla Boscaiola This is a rustic "woodcutter's" pasta dish, made with short, tubular pasta like rigatoni, penne or macaroni. by Bo Letos Stock photo of pasta Method Detach the stems from the mushrooms and slice both the stems and caps very thinly. In a large sauté pan, sauté the crushed garlic cloves in the olive oil, on medium high. When the garlic becomes colored a deep, golden brown, remove it from the pan. Add the fine ham strips to the pan, stir once or twice, then add the mushrooms and cook at a lively heat for about a minute. Add the chopped parsley, salt, and a few grindings of papper. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped tomatoes and their juice. Stir well, turn the heat down to low, and cover. Bring 4 or 5 quarts of water to boil. Add a little salt, and when the water boils again add the pasta. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite (al dente). Do not cook until soft. Drain the pasta well, and add it to the pan with the mushrooms. Raise the pan heat to medium, and stir everything well for about 30 seconds. Add the Parmesan, turn off the heat, and stir until the cheese is distributed well. Notes from the author : I first tried this recipe with Amanita calyptrata (now calyptroderma ). However, I have found since that A. velosa is also very good. It gives a lighter, sweeter, less obvious touch than coccora, but it still shines through the tomato flavor. I still think both are superior to Boletus edulis when used with pasta, though not all would agree. I wonder how many recipes were constructed with coccora in mind, only to have cooks substitute porcini instead. I try all pasta-based recipes at least once with coccora to test the effect. For those who refuse to collect the edible Amanitas for the table, may God bless you. In any event, I think you will find it fast, easy, and very good. Editor's Note: This recipe was originally published in the March 1985 issue of Duff. The name of the contributor was not cited, but it was likely the Duff editor that month (perhaps Luen, David, or Bob?) Recipe contributed: March 1995 Many cooks make this recipe with porcini, or with portabello or cremini mushrooms. Note : The original author used coccora or A. velosa . While these are edible Amanita species, they have toxic and deadly lookalikes, and should thus only be collected by those with the expertise to distinguish them. As a reminder, FFSC does not permit serving any species of Amanita at our events. (See Potluck Essentials for a list of permitted species for culinary events.) Objective: Main course Total Time: 30 to 60 minutes Yield: Serves 2 Suggested Mushrooms: Coccora (Amanita calyptroderma) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Springtime amanita (Amanita velosa) 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 fresh mushrooms 1/3 cup green olive oil 2 peeled, crushed garlic cloves 1/2 cup cooked ham, sliced into thin strips 2 Tbs. chopped parsley 1 cup canned plum tomatoes*, chopped fine with their juice 2/3 lbs. maccheroncini or similar tubular pasta 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan freshly ground black pepper to taste Additional parmesan for the table * I have also tried this recipe without the tomatoes, and like it just as much as this version. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / CEO's Epistle to the Fungophiles: Welcome New Members Welcome to our new members! Upcoming events include our Beginner/Intermediate ID class held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7-9 PM at the Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History on East Cliff Drive. Deb • February 1, 2000 Arrhenia chlorocyanea. © Darvin DeShazer (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 10190256) Our next General Meeting, held on February 16th at the Harvey West Scout House, will start at 7 PM. The program will focus on "What's Up" — mushrooms fruiting in our area, with small group instruction on identification of mushroom characteristics. A mushroom "Tapas" tasting will be held at Blacks Beach Cafe on February 8th, providing an opportunity to taste a great variety of mushroom dishes and meet fellow fungophiles. Our annual Wme & Mushroom Fest will take place on Saturday, March 11th. These activities and more are noted in the Upcoming Events table. A brief description of activities is provided, as well as whom to contact for further information. Many of you have been asking about our website. Good news! FFSC's new website is operational at www . ffofsc . com . Check it out! Many thanks to Kristen Olsen, who put a lot of time and effort into creating this beautiful, functional site. She has done a great job, and is working on more good things to come. The loading time is a bit slow due to server speed, so bear with us and clean your desk or read up on a new mushroom while you wait. This will improve, too! Hope to see you all with baskets full of mushrooms! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Mycology students are welcome to submit applications for funding for specific projects, classes or assistance. If you're an FFSC member who needs financial assistance to take special mycology classes or outside workshops, or to attend regional or national forays, you can also submit an application for assistance. Scholarship information and application forms for larger and smaller scholarships and grants can be found in the PDF document below. Those applying for smaller grants (books, microscopes, workshops) do not need to fill in the "Education" section of the form. Apply for a Scholarship or Grant FFSC Scholarshop and Grant Application .pdf Download PDF • 261KB To submit your request: Online : Use the Contact form at the bottom of the Contact FFSC page, choose "Scholarship Application" and then upload your PDF. Paper Copy : Mail your completed application to: Attn: FFSC Education Minister PO Box 82 Santa Cruz, CA 95063-0082 Past Funding Recipients Quotes from a couple of our past scholarship recipients: Julien Pometta Julien Pometta "I received my scholarship during my sophomore year of college at UC Santa Cruz. I applied for it because I was starting a project that attempted to capture a snapshot of the macrofungal diversity within the UCSC Arboretum. I documented observations on iNaturalist, collected specimens that are stored at the Norris Center for Natural History on campus, and even managed to sequence 25 of those specimens. At the end of the project, I compiled my findings into a book, Mushrooms of the UCSC Arboretum, An Annotated Checklist , which also served as my senior exit requirement for my major. "The scholarship made working on this project much more accessible; I was able to purchase the necessary equipment to properly collect specimens and towards the end, it helped cover the costs of publishing and printing copies of my book. Aside from the financial aid of the scholarship, it made me feel encouraged about my project at a time when I was still figuring out how I would get everything done. I am very grateful that I was able to pursue a project like this during college, the experience it gave me applies to many different types of environmental jobs. The sequencing experience helped me land at my current job where I work as a lab technician in a molecular ecology lab at UCSC." Peter Vahlberg Peter Vahlberg "I am happily studying Computer Science at Gonzaga University, and I’m hoping to get a PhD in a similar area of study. Despite my interest in technology, I’m still captivated by the world of fungi, and most other kinds of nature. Getting the scholarship meant a lot to me, particularly because it meant that I was taken seriously at a relatively young age. I feel like I was able to contribute something real to science, and I learned a lot from it. Just the other day I spied a Coprinellus (the genus that I studied) while driving, and I just had to go and see it." More examples: FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Christian Schwarz FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Alison McGregor FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Kristopher Hennig FFSC's mission statement also includes an outreach to the community here in Santa Cruz. To this end we are exploring the purchase of mycology books to be donated to the Santa Cruz Public Library; and we periodically donate resources to the library at UCSC. We also helped to fund their herbarium and several different fungal studies. "Now that's a hedgehog". Credit: Unknown Scholarships & Grants To aid in promoting education about mycology, we offer full and partial scholarships to members needing financial aid or who express a deep interest in mycology; students pursuing an interest in fungi; and grants to local educational institutions.

News & Stories / 2007 NAMA Annual Foray Report A large contingent of FFSC members attended the mid-August NAMA foray in West Virginia. We stayed at McKeever Lodge in Pipestem State Park, situated near the top of a ridge over-looking the Bluestone River gorge. David Rust • September 1, 2007 Scutellinia scutellata. Photo by Debbie Viess At night, the river valley filled with fog, and at dawn, bats combed the balcony alcoves. On the grass below, a woodchuck prowled the grounds for whatever food was tossed his way. Judging from his girth, he’s very well fed. Debbie Viess and I took a couple days before the foray to explore the area. We met Coleman McCleneghan, one of many professional mycologists at this year’s foray. She arranged a canoe trip on the Shenandoah River for us, and then Debbie and Coleman went off to Virginia while I attended meetings at Pipestem. Part of the fun of a NAMA foray is being in a beautiful new place with totally different mush-rooms, and trying to capture the “lay of the land.” Then once you find something, figuring out what the heck you’re looking at. The forest in and around Pipestem was mixed conifer and-hardwood, with many unfamiliar trees. I arrived a day early and ended up going on a pre-foray just outside the park. As I walked among some stumps, I spotted a unfamiliar cauliflower mushroom. Sparassis spathulata is shaped like an Elizabethan ruffed collar, unlike our West Coast species Sparassis crispa , that looks more like a neatly stacked pile of egg noodles. I ended up going to that same foray location three times, because the property was situated at a low elevation with streams and springs, damp soil and shaded forest — one of the most productive areas for fleshy fungi. It had been unusually hot with no rain for a few weeks and most of the local forests were sparse picking. Phil Carpenter, Coleman McCleneghan, Debbie Viess and Henry Young. Photo by David Rust One of the highlights of any NAMA foray is the wide range of presentations by the nation’s best professional mycologists. Pipestem was no exception. On the first full day, the program included “Mushroom Taxonomy…” with Rytas Vilgalys, “Mushrooms of the West Virginia High Country” by Walt Sturgeon, and an excellent intro to the “World of Myxomycetes” by renowned slime mold expert Steve Stephenson. Because this foray was dedicated as a memorial to Orson Miller, many of his former graduate students gave talks and participated in a tribute. Coleman McCleneghan gave an excellent talk on “Southern Appalachian Species of Pholiota , Stropharia , and Hypholoma .” Pat Leacock and Tom Volk. Photo by David Rust Other speakers included Tom Volk, who lec-tured on mushroom myths, and foray chief mycologist Bill Roody, who gave an enticing tour of the mushrooms of Spain. (Perhaps the Pyrenees should be our next long-distance foray destination?) On Sunday morning, Rytas Vilgalys wrote out the names of mushroom families on large sheets of paper and set out representative exam-ples from the collecting tables, which he used to illustrate the new direction of fungal taxonomy. Starting with the simplest forms, the yeasts, molds and rusts, he explained how fungi may have evolved over the millennia, developing different reproductive strategies such as pores, teeth and gills, and how modern science using Rytas Vilgalys discusses clades. Photo by David Rust DNA techniques, is expanding our knowledge about the relationships between mushrooms. His extemporaneous talk amazed the 50 or so people who stood around the table. You could almost see the wheels turning inside people’s heads as they struggled to supplant their older taxonomic knowledge with the new order. The final tally, including slime molds, lichens and a large array of polypores, was 330 species from Pipestem State Park and environs. Not bad for dry conditions and very challenging collecting. Next year’s NAMA foray will be held in McCall, Idaho. Hope to see you there! David Rust NAMA Region 11 Trustee Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Echo Summit Foray 2000 — Field Report While the first foray of the year may not have been a bonanza for everyone, several people hauled away a couple of bags of boletes, basically the only edible found. Horst Kuhlmann • November 1, 2000 Turbinellus floccosus. © max_forster (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 193831911) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Echo Summit Foray Species List: September 26th 2003 2004 Echo Summit Foray Recap Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Mushrooms are Everywhere! Mushrooms are everywhere once you start looking... This beauty was photographed by Deb (at Verve Coffee Roasters on 41st Avenue)! Ram Aria • December 1, 2010 Can you see the mushroom? Photo by Debbie Johnson Photo by Sue Willis Sometimes they match the colors of the leaves... You just need to look twice! They’re here — now get out and find them! We'd love some samples to exhibit at the 2010 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair while you're at it! Look very, very carefully at the first image below... Hmmm. See anything? Maybe just south of the redwood cone? (To be viewed while listening to Flight of the Valkyries at top volume...) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 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

Avoid the Forest After Dark. Photo by Dan Tischler Avoid the Forest After Dark Dan Tischler With Halloween just around the corner, be extra careful when you go into the forest at night. Camera Olympus TG-4 Focal L. 10mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on January 19, 2022 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Porcini Barley Soup Porcini are such wonderful mushrooms. Their nutty aroma and flavor can be used to enhance so many dishes. by Bob Sellers Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © forage_cali (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 324723020) Method If using dried boletes, reconstitute them in warm water until soft (about 20 minutes). Strain the water and reserve to use as part of the ½ qt. water ingredient below. Dice the boletes thickly. Boil and mash the potato (you'll use it as a thickener). Pour the ½ qt. water and the beef or chicken stock into the mashed potatoes, and add all other ingredients into a pot. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. If you used bay leaves, remove them before serving. Serve piping hot. I suggest serving with toasted sesame bread sticks and your favorite wine. Recipe contributed: October 1998 Here is a recipe from our own Bob Sellers that I have served to dinner guests, as a first course, and received many compliments. Thank you Bob for this tasty soup. The recipe can be found in Marjorie and my cookbook From Duff to Dinner , under the name Boletus Barley Soup. It has been modified by me to provide 4 to 6 servings. You can make this dish a day ahead and reheat before serving. I think the flavors blend better if this is done. Enjoy! —Vince Viverito, Minister of Culinary Affairs (1998) Editor's note: From Duff to Dinner is out of print, but it can still be found in online thrift bookstores. Objective: Soup Total Time: About 2 hours Yield: 4 to 6 bowls Suggested Mushrooms: Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) 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 1½ cans (22 oz.) beef, chicken, or vegetable stock ½ qt. water 1½ large yellow onions, diced 4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ⅔ dup pearl barley ¾ tsp. thyme ¾ cup dried Boletus edulis (or 2 cups fresh, diced thick) 4 stalks celery, with tops diced 2 bay leaves (optional) 1 large potato Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe