2025 Speaker Schedule : Room 1 Friday 2:30 PM Tips and Techniques for Cooking with Mushrooms Chef Bob Wynn Friday 4:00 PM An Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter Saturday 10:00 AM An Introduction to Mushroom Cultivation Vellany Pierce Saturday 11:30 AM A Discussion of Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young Saturday 1:00 PM Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms Douglas Smith Saturday 2:30 PM From Saucepan to Science Foraging Feasting and Phylogeny Shannon Adams Saturday 4:00 PM An Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter Sunday 10:00 AM Decoding the Forest Floor The Art of Mushroom Recognition Alan Rockefeller Sunday 11:30 AM Medicinal Mushrooms Traditional Usage and Modern Science Dr. Bill Schoenbart Sunday 1:00 PM Common Mushrooms of the San Francisco Bay Area Douglas Smith Sunday 2:30 PM An Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter Sunday 4:00 PM Mushroom Cultivation Kyle Garrone 2025 Speaker Schedule : Room 3 Friday 2:30 PM Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Fungi Alan Rockefeller Saturday 9:30 AM The Magic Mushroom Talk Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Saturday 11:15 AM Fungi of New Zealand The Ecology of a Young Land Christian Schwarz Saturday 1:00 PM Medicinal Mushrooms Science and Traditional Usage Dr. Bill Schoenbart Saturday 2:45 PM Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast Noah Siegel Saturday 4:30 PM What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young Sunday 9:30 AM Adventures of a Mycohobo Noah Siegel Sunday 11:15 AM Magic Mushroom Microdosing Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Sunday 1:00 PM Fungal Range Maps How We Build Them and Why They Matter Thea Chesney Sunday 2:45 PM A Mushroom Tasting with Wine Pairing Chad Hyatt Sunday 4:30 PM Two Years of the California Fungal Diversity Study What Have We Learned Christian Schwarz

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News A Very Mushroomy Halloween To You, Too! Halloween is fast approaching, and this is Santa Cruz’s favorite holiday. Are your kids dressing up? Are you? Deb • September 27, 2013 Omphalotus olivascens (western Jack o'Lantern) at the Fungus Fair Julian and Gabriel sported magnificent Muscaria costumes while out trick-or-treating with their family and some friendly elves last year. We can’t wait to see what they do this year, and would love to see your costumes, too! Send photos to our Google Group or Facebook group. Larger images are preferable, thanks. For further inspiration, visit Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=mushroom%20costume Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Writings Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports SC Report, February 2014 I've been out 3 or 4 times in the last 2 weeks in a variety of locations. I've seen an abundance of very small mushrooms (<.5" caps), but few of any species any larger. It almost seems like things started to come up and then paused. Yevgeny Nyden • February 26, 2014 Nettles. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Collecting Conditions in Mendocino at ACCF 2014 Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Citizen Science - Amateur Ain't a Dirty Word In 2014, after a lot of flamey discussions over at Mushroom Observer, Christian Schwarz came to realize that many folks aren’t sure what "citizen science" is, how it works, or how it should be done. Christian Schwarz • July 5, 2014 A very far eastern Dendrocollybia… (hosted on https://mycobratpack.tumblr.com/). © Christian Schwarz "I thought a blog post might help quell the animosity and clear up some of the common outstanding questions and misconceptions under discussion," writes Christian. "The discussions revolve around Citizen Science and the associated questions: How does it work? Is it really science? Am I a citizen scientist? If so, is there a cure?" Read Christian's full article on Notes of a Mycophile (tumblr). Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts How Many Mushrooms in One Day? Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Coprinopsis lagopus gr. © Terry Way Coprinopsis Lagopus Group Terry Way This beautiful mushroom was found in Terry's backyard. Phil Carpenter pegs it as being in the Coprinopsis lagopus group. One of the Inky Caps, this exquisite and evanescent member of the Psathyrellaceae family is a feast for the eyes. Not for the table, though: this tiny mushroom is considered inedible. Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III Focal L. 100mm Aperture f/22.0 Shutter Sp. ISO 10000 Flash Off Photo taken on September 29, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Red Russula. Photo by Justin Ciccone Red Russula Justin Ciccone This beautiful Russula was photographed by Justin Ciccone during a nice rainy hike at Nisene Marks park on November 19, 2014. Happy Holidays! Camera Nikon D90 Focal L. 35mm Aperture f/7.1 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO 125 Flash Fired Photo taken on November 19, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada, June 2013 Dr. Dennis Desjardin will introduce students to the different kinds of mushrooms and other large fungi that occur in the spring in the Sierra Nevada. Marje Young • May 1, 2013 Morel, the Magnificent Morel (2013). Photo by Hugh Smith Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of macro – and micromorphological features, as well as ecological roles, to aid in the identification of taxa. The daily class routine consists of an 8:00-10:00 am lecture followed by a field trip until approx. 3:00 pm. Transportation on the field trips will be by car pooling. Upon return to the camp, collections will be examined and identified in the laboratory (3:30-6:00 pm) in collaboration with the instructor and a knowledgeable graduate student assistant. All equipment, microscope slides, cover slips and reagents required for accurate determination of specimens will be provided. In the evenings, several lectures and slide shows will be presented, and the laboratory will be open for additional work on collections. If sufficient quantities of edible fungi are collected, they will be prepared for consumption and served to the class by the camp’s chef. Class Schedule: Participants should plan to arrive Sunday afternoon in time to attend an orientation lecture on Sunday evening at 8:00 pm. The last class meeting ends at noon on Friday. Tuition: $348 Accommodation (additional fee) details : http://www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/Accommodations.html Details and registration information can be found online at http://www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/Course_Fungi.html Dues-paying FFSC members interested in an FFSC Scholarship to help fund your attendance should contact Marje Young. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada, 2014 Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings Ignore this post We're making a few changes, and this article is just a test! Dan Tischler • April 22, 2026 pickled mushrooms Here is a short interview with Shane... https://discord.gg/aymxXSEJN Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2026 Calling all artists! Submit your entries for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo design contest! The deadline is 10pm on August 18, 2026. The winning logo will be used on the official Fair T-Shirts, posters and other materials. The Grand Prize is $500 plus other perks! Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • July 20, 2025 2026 Fungus Fair Poster Placeholder Submissions for this contest are closed. Artists who submitted entries have been notified of the results offline. The winning artwork will be used as the basis for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The contest ended on Monday, August 18, 2025. Please submit your logo design(s) by 10pm PT on Monday, August 18, 2025 . Grand Prize The winning artist will receive: $500 in cash Two (2) General Admission* tickets to the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair (valued at $15 each) One (1) 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt (valued at $30-35) One (1) set of 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair giveaways (poster, postcard, etc.) Artist name credited with the artwork on all materials that use the logo** Finalists Exhibit Photographs or reprints of the winning artwork and up to 10 of the finalist entries for this logo contest will be displayed at the London Nelson Community Center during the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, January 9-11, 2026. Each displayed image will be accompanied by the artist's name, URL or contact info, and a brief description.*** Images of the exhibited*** entries will also be posted on the FFSC website, and may appear on social media. Contest Rules Eligibility Anyone in the United States can submit an entry. Each individual can submit up to 5 entries. The finalists and winning design will be reviewed and selected by representatives from the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair organizing committee. Members of the selection committee are not eligible for the grand prize. The deadline to submit entries is August 18, 2025 at 10pm PT. Logo Design Guidelines Your original work only. Please don't violate any copyrights. Special consideration will be given to designs that incorporate these concepts: Distinctly recognizable, real mushroom species known to occur in California The 2026 Fair theme: Underground Wonders: Secrets of the Fungal Kingdom Suitability for an all-ages T-shirt Special consideration will also be given to designs which are accompanied by: Suggestions for background colors to use for the T-shirt and poster Suggestions for where to place "Santa Cruz Fungus Fair" and the year (2026) Suggestions for typefaces to use on the T-shirt and poster. Note: If you choose to include text within the artwork, any fonts used must be free for commercial use. You can see examples of our past Fungus Fair logos below. Technical Guidelines Initially, we only need a PDF or screenshot of your artwork for consideration. If your entry is shortlisted as a finalist, we'll contact you for the original work. That said, we strongly recommend that you design your contest entry to be print-ready or easily adapted to the following requirements for the final logo: Colors: Max colors within the art file for printing: 7 colors You can suggest a specific T-shirt color as an 8th color Artwork / digital canvas size: Printable with high quality at 9-11"w x 9-11" tall File type: Vector art (Adobe Illustrator (.ai), or a .pdf containing vector art is strongly preferred. Adobe Photoshop (.psd) or .png that contains high resolution vectorized art will be considered. If you provide rasterized art, please prepare it for printing at 300 dpi. File name: Include your name and the artwork title in the filename. Logo Design Usage The winning entry will be used for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair committee may, at their discretion, alter the graphic elements, font or verbiage from the winning entry while creating the final 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo and merchandise. The winning entry and final logo will become the property of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz for exclusive commercial use in marketing and merchandising for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and in any other way the organization sees fit in alignment with FFSC's mission. The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz reserves the right to reproduce the artwork and logo indefinitely. The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo will be used at the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and will appear on the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt, as well as on posters, postcards and other materials which will be displayed in the Santa Cruz, California region. The logo may be also used in marketing by Fungus Fair vendors, sponsors and speakers, as well as in social media which could be seen worldwide. Submit Your Entry This year we're trying Google Forms to collect entries for this contest. (Entries are no longer being accepted.) We look forward to seeing your ideas! Past Examples of Fungus Fair Logos These examples demonstrate how we've used the Fair logos on posters in the past. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fair News Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray We had a great foray last Saturday on our foray! A big thanks to the all the great folks who participated! Cass Fuentes • January 5, 2015 Craterellus cornucopioides (from another foray). Photo by Hugh Smith Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access more content. Related Posts 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

So Long Without Rain. (YWI 16th Annual). Photo by Hugh Smith So Long Without Rain... Hugh Smith So long without rain Mushrooms poking their heads up Soon become crispy! 2014 had been the driest year on record for Santa Cruz, having received only 1.3 inches so far that season of our average 11 inches to date... Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on January 5, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

FFSC Financials Our Minister of Exchequer counts everything (except how many mushrooms we collected...) Have a better photo? Photo by Fungibartl (Dan Tischler) FFSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. (Learn more about FFSC and our mission .) How We Use Fees that We Collect Santa Cruz Fungus Fair: This is our primary fundraising event of the year. In addition to raising money for scholarships and to pay our speakers, this volunteer-run event supports our community with three days of fun, food, entertainment and education. Scholarships and Grants: We use a portion of our membership fees, event fees, and other fundraising to support students and researchers who are expanding the world's knowledge of fungi. Learn more or apply for funding on our Scholarships page. Educational Speakers: The fees also fully or partially subsidize the cost of bringing in guest speakers to present a variety of topics to the general public and our members. These include our FREE Monthly Speakers events, as well as speakers at other events like the annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Event Tickets: FFSC's event fees (when charged) typically cover external costs such as optional accommodations (for long-distance forays), venue rentals (for classes and dinners), each venue's liability insurance requirements, charitable fundraising, and/or guest chefs. Product Inventory: We offer club T-shirts, stickers, and other items for sale to members and the general public at cost (or with great discounts). We use some of our fees to pay vendors up front to make the items, or to reimburse volunteers for the cost of out-of-pocket supplies. We also buy mushroom books to sell at or near cost to members and the public at our events. Operational Costs: The remainder of the fees cover costs such as venue rentals, equipment rentals and decor for club dinners, liability insurance requirements, legal fees, and (rarely) vendors/contractors when none of our volunteers are qualified or available to do certain work. Plus, we pay for storage units to hold FFSC inventory, booth equipment (signage, tables, chairs, etc.), customized Fungus Fair decor and more, in cases when volunteers don't have room in their own garages. What about Staff? FFSC's club leaders (ministers), trip leaders, ID class instructors, event organizers, and event staff are all unpaid volunteers! We do this because we are passionate about mycology! Here are some of the past financial statements for the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. FFSC Balance Sheet Aug 31-2025 .pdf Download PDF • 178KB FFSC 2024FY P&L .pdf Download PDF • 177KB FFSC-2023-Balance-Sheet .pdf Download PDF • 29KB FFSC-2022FY-PandL .pdf Download PDF • 30KB FFSC-PandL-2021-22 .pdf Download PDF • 180KB FFSC-PandL-2018-19 .pdf Download PDF • 108KB Members Only Content Login Join FFSC