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.

Phil Carpenter receiving Knighton Award (photo by Brennon Strnad) Phil Carpenter, FFSC Science Advisor, has been awarded the 2023 Harry and Elsie Knighton Service Award  by the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) ! 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 here in his nomination letter. Phil Carpenter. (Photo credit: Dan Tischler) Congratulations, Phil!

If there is a particular speaker whom you are very motivated to see, we recommend that you buy advance tickets for the Fungus Fair and that talk, and be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before the talk. The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair has two lecture venues: Headliners : The headliners speak in the London Nelson Multipurpose Room (Room 3). You will need to buy a separate ticket for each talk , in addition to your general admission ticket. This year we will be selling the majority of the headliner tickets online, in advance of the fair. Though we will continue to sell a few tickets at the door for procrastinators, it is highly recommended that you buy your ticket ahead of time if there is a particular speaker whom you are very motivated to see. Open Educational Talks:  Knowledgeable local and not so local mycologists give informative and educational talks in a smaller room. These talks are included in the Fungus Fair general admission price. Seating is limited and first-come, first served. Early morning and late afternoon talks tend to have smaller crowds. Room 3 Headliner Talks $5 per talk. Purchase tickets in advance, before they sell out. Please study each description carefully so you can purchase tickets for the talks that most interest you. Friday, January 10, 2025 2:30 pm-3:30 pm  |  Alan Rockefeller Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Fungi These types of mushrooms are both beautiful and scientifically fascinating. This presentation has hundreds of high quality photos and photography tips for both types of glowing mushrooms, and includes information on using a UV light to identify mushrooms. Saturday, January 11, 2025 9:30 am-10:30 am  |  Christopher Hobbs, PH.D. The Magic Mushroom Talk Psilocybin mushrooms are renowned as spiritual guides and tools for dissolving the ego, helping to overcome trauma, limiting beliefs, and mental blocks and clinical research shows they can effectively treat anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD. In this talk, we'll explore the transformative potential of psilocybin through recent science and practices. 11:15 am-12:15 pm  |  Christian Schwarz Fungi of New Zealand: The Ecology of a Young Land Aotearoa — the land more commonly known as New Zealand is young in many ways: In recent geologic history, it nearly drowned after splitting off from the Australian continent, and it was the last bit of Earth’s land to be inhabited by human beings. This island nation is a wild and wondrous place — very different from anything familiar to a resident of the Northern Hemisphere. We’ll talk about the holistic ecology of the place, using fungi as a lens to understand the bigger picture.  1:00 pm-2:00 pm  |  Bill Schoenbart Medicinal Mushrooms - Science and Traditional Usage Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. They have also been the subject of numerous scientific studies in recent years. This talk will review the traditional functions and indications of turkey tail, reishi, cordyceps, and lion's mane, and we will discuss clinical studies and research into these incredible gifts from nature. 2:45 pm-3:45 pm  |  Noah Siegel Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast From towering redwoods to live oak woodlands, northern California has diverse habitats which host a dazzling array of fungi. From the worlds largest chanterelle, to massive Porcini, or a rainbow of tiny waxy caps in the redwood duff, this talk will introduce you to the mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. 4:30 pm-5:30 pm  |  Henry Young What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms We will explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose your lunch bunch and their impact on humans will be covered. Sunday, January 12, 2025 9:30 am-10:30 am  |  Noah Siegel Adventures of a Mycohobo Ever wonder what mushrooms occur in the jungles of tropical Africa and South America, or the dripping, moss covered Antarctic Beech forests of New Zealand, or across North America? We will take a photo safari of some of the places I have been working, and highlight my favorite mushrooms and ecosystems. 11:15 am-12:15 pm  |  Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D. Magic Mushroom Microdosing Magic mushroom microdosing is gaining global attention, with growing scientific research and personal testimonials highlighting its benefits for cognitive health, brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and enhancing brain immune function. This talk will explore the emerging science and practical applications of microdosing, led by a speaker with 40 years of experience. 1:00 pm-2:00 pm  |  Thea Chesney Fungal Range Maps: How We Build Them and Why They Matter Understanding where an organism lives, and why, is an essential part of understanding its life history and ecology, yet we have been lacking in data for the geographic distribution of many fungi in our rapidly changing world. We will discuss the historical and current state of knowledge, as well as recent efforts to improve these data and discoveries that are both helping and sometimes confounding our understanding of fungal species distribution. 2:45 pm-4:00 pm  |  Chad Hyatt and Jeff Emery A Mushroom Tasting with Wine Pairing Chef Chad Hyatt will demonstrate his cooking techniques and his creations will be paired with exquisite wines provided by vintner Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vinyard. There will be a small extra fee to cover the cost of ingredients. All ages are welcome, but you must be over 21 to taste the wine. 4:30 pm-5:30 pm  |  Christian Schwarz Two Years of the California Fungal Diversity Study: What Have We Learned? Over the past two years, the CA FUNDIS organization has undertaken a remarkable effort to get to know the mushrooms of California more deeply. We’ll talk about the results of this effort by reviewing some of some of the  discoveries made by this dedicated crew, and talk about how this non-profit organization has accomplished so much in such a short time. We’ll end by discussing how you can help support us, or even get involved directly. You’ll come away with a sneak peek at some cutting-edge knowledge about the mushrooms in our amazing state…   Room 1 Open Talks Fungus Fair General Admission stamp required (no additional fee). These talks have no advance reservations; they're first come, first served. Friday, January 10, 2025 2:30 pm-3:30pm  |  Chef Bob Wynn Tips and Techniques for Cooking with Mushrooms 4:00 pm-5:00 pm  |  Phil Carpenter An Introduction to Mushroom Identification   Saturday, January 11, 2025 10:00 am-11:00 am  |  Vellany Pierce An Introduction to Mushroom Cultivation 11:30 am-12:30 pm  |  Henry Young A Discussion of Poisonous Mushrooms 1:00 pm-2:00 pm  |  Douglas Smith Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms 2:30 pm-3:30 pm  |  Shannon Adams From Saucepan to Science: Foraging, Feasting and Phylogeny 4:00 pm-5:00 pm  |  Phil Carpenter An Introduction to Mushroom Identification   Sunday, January 12, 2025 10:00 am-11:00 am  |  Alan Rockefeller Decoding the Forest Floor: The Art of Mushroom Recognition 11:30 am-12:30 pm  |  Bill Schoenbart Medicinal Mushrooms – Traditional Usage and Modern Science 1:00 pm-2:00 pm  |  Douglas Smith Common Mushrooms of the San Francisco Bay Area 2:30 pm-3:30 pm  |  Phil Carpenter An Introduction to Mushroom Identification 4:00 pm-5:00 pm  |  Kyle Garrone Mushroom Cultivation

Saturday, February 22, 2014 One buyer in town... Black Trumpets: $12.00 per pound Hedgehogs: $5.50 per pound Yellow Feet: $1.00 per pound Black Trumpets. Photo by Denise Honey With prices like that, you know Black Trumpets are scarce. We hiked two entire mountains where I know I can find them. Nothing! Well, one Hedgehog on one mountain and four Hedgehogs on the other. Not even signs anyone else got Black Trumpets. Lots of duff moved around but no signs of anything missed. Fort Bragg has received 6 1/3 inches in February and are behind over 7 inches. The timing of the rain, the big freeze and the drought conditions have taken their toll on the mountains and the ridges. Still, not some lower areas. Sandi and I DID manage to do pretty well in two areas, although those two areas were far between. Yellow Feet and Hedgehogs are pretty common and in good shape... in the right spots. It's still not too late but right now it's too early. I have hunted Black Trumpets in April. --Phalluscybe

Genus Species Notes Agaricus diminutivus Very common Agaricus incultorum Agaricus subrutilescens Agaricus xanthodermus Albatrellus sp. Vinaceous cap species Aleuria aurantia Amanita augusta (franchetii) Amanita calyptroderma Amanita gemmata grp. X2 Amanita muscaria Amanita pachycolea (giant grisette) Amanita pantherina Amanita pseudobreconii Amanita vaginata grp. (grisette) Annulohypoxylon thouarsianum (cramp balls) Arrhenia epichysium Auricularia americana Auriscalpium vulgare Bolbitius aluriatus Boletus edulis Bulgaria inquinans (Poor WoMan’s Licorice) Calocera viscosa Cantharellus formosus (golden chanterelle) Cantharellus subalbidus (white chanterelle) Caulorhiza umbonata (redwood rooter) Chalcaporus piperatoides Chalcaporus piperatus Chlorociboria sp. (blue-green stain) Chroogomphus albipes Chroogomphus ochraceus Chroogomphus tomentosus Chroogomphus vinicolor Claveradelphus occidentalis Clitocybe fragrans Clitocybe nebularis Clitocybe trulliformes Clitopilus prunulus Coprinopsis lagopus Coprinopsis niveus Cortinarius cisquale Cortinarius alboviolaceus Cortinarius athabascus Cortinarius laniger Cortinarius ponderosus (hard, massive; purple gills when young) Cortinarius purpurascens Cortinarius smithii (red dye dermocybe) Cortinarius sp. x6 Cortinarius vibratilis Craterellus tubaeformis (yellow foot chanterelle) Crepidotus mollis Cryptoporus volvatus Cuphophyllus graveolens Cuphophyllus russocoriaceus Entocybe trachyospora Fistulina hepatica Fomitipsis ochracea Fomitopsis pinicola Galerina badipes (in moss) Ganoderma oregonense Gomphidius oregonensis Gomphidius smithii Gomphidius subroseus Gomphus clavatus Gymnopilus punctifolius Gymnopilus sapineus group Gymnopilus ventricosus (Jumbo Gym) Gymnopus dryophilus Gymnopus quercophilus was Marasmius Gymnopus villosipes Helvella vespertina Heterobasidion occidentalis Hydnellum peckii Hydnum oregonensis umbilicatum Hygrocybe singeri Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca Hygrophorus bakerensis (slimy brown cap, almond odor) Hygrophorus erubescens (red spots on gills) Hygrophorus roseobrunneus Hygrophorus siccipes hypothejus Hyphaloma capnoides Hypholoma dispersum Hypholoma fasciculare Hypomyces lactifluorum (lobster mushroom) Inocybe cinnamomea Inocybe lilacina Inocybe olympianeus Jahnoporus hirtus Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis Laccaria laccata Lactarius aestivus (deliciosus grp) Lactarius argillaceifolius, var. megacarpus Lactarius deliciosus (grp.) Lactarius desjardinii Lactarius pallescens Lactarius pseudomucidus Lactarius resimus Lactarius rubidus (candy cap) Lactarius rufus Lactarius subvillosus Lactarius subviscidus (Pseudo-Candy Cap) Leccinum manzanitae Leotia viscosa (green cap) Leptonia sp. (2-3; blue-black grp.) Leucogaster rubescens Leucopaxillus albissimus Leucopaxillus gentianeus Lichenompalia umbellifera Lycoperdon pratense Lycoperdon pyriforme Lycoperdum umbrinum (dark puffball) Macrotyphula juncea Marasmius calhounii Melanoleuca melaleuca Micromphale sequoiae Mycena abramsii Mycena aurantiomarginata Mycena capillaripes Mycena epipterygia Mycena galericulata Mycena oregonensis Mycena pura Mycena purpureofusca Mycena tenerrima (tiny, white w/granular veil) Nidularia candida Phaeoclavulina abietina Phaeocollybia benzokauffmanii Phaeocollybia kaufmannii Phaeocollybia olivacea Phaeocollybia redheadii Phaeolus schweinitzii Phellodon atratus Pithya cupressina Pleurotus dryinus Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) Pluteus exilis Pluteus romellii Polyporus badius Postia caesia Postia fragilis Pseudohydnum gelatinosum (Cat’s tongue) Ramaria botrytis Ramaria formosa Ramaria rubiginosa Ramaria violaceibrunnea Ramaria acirisiccescens Ramariopsis kunzei grp. Rhizopogon occidentalis Rhizopogon parksii Rhizopogon roseolus Rhizopogon sp. Rhodofomes cajenderi (Rosy Conk) Rhodophana nittellina Rickenella fibula Russula albonigra Russula cerolens Russula brevipes Russula californiensis Russula cremoricolor Russula densifolia Russula fragrantissima Russula olivacea Russula rhococephala was R. sanguinea Russula xerampelina Sarcodon squamosus Scleroderma polyrhizum Scutiger pes-caprae was Albatrellus Stereum hirsutum Stereum ochraceoflavum Strobilurus trullisatus Stropharia ambigua Suillus brevipes Suillus caerulescens Suillus lakei Suillus pungens Suillus quiescens Suillus umbonatus Suillus tomentosus Suillus ponderosus Tapinella atrotomentosa Tapinella panuoides Trametes betulina Trametes versicolor Tremella aurantiaca (witches butter) Tremella frondosa Trichaptum abietinum Tricholoma aurantium Tricholoma dryophilum Tricholoma equestre Tricholoma inamoenum coal tar/mothballs odor Tricholoma murrillianum Western matsutake.] Tricholoma saponaceum (soapy odor, pinkish orange staining at base) Tricholomopsis rutilans Truncocolumella citrina Turbinellus floccosus (Gomphus) Tyromyces chioneus with parasite Xerocomellus atropurpureus the common species in the zelleri group Xeromphalina cauticinalis Xeromphalina campanella Xylaria hypoxylon

This will be my fourth consecutive trip now and I am an Alaskan fixture at Bill White's Sports Lodge. I will start off with Hugh's unique verbiage of our trip,"North.. to Alaska, we're goin' North, the rush is on! It rained for two weeks before we arrived in Alaska. Locals said it rained for a month. Wednesday we landed in Anchorage and the sun came out. Everything was wet. No sign of rain. We arrived two days early so we could do something other than mushroom hunt (!). After all, this IS our 4th trip. (On our 3rd visit we said that it would be our last). We drove to Seward. Arriving there, itwas still raining. It rained all night. It rained harder. It was rainingThursday when we woke up. And then... it stopped. The sun came out and it never rained again for our entire 11 days inAlaska! (Forecast for days after we left was rain). View from the cruise Thursday morning we took a six hour cruise to Kenai Fjords NationalPark. There are no roads in this park, paved anyway, and it is our nation's largest park next to Denali, also in Alaska. (Denali has roads). I've got to tell you; until you've been up to the face of a glacier in the ocean, you have not experienced a glacier. Although the face of Holgate Glacier is 200 feet high, all scale is lost.The captain shut the engines down. The whole scene appeared to be static, motionless.Silence. Then great cracks and explosions were heard in the ominous silence, asif from many bolts of lightning. The sky was clear. Pieces of ice, some as big as cars, fell off the face from multiple sites. In actuality we were not near the face at all. The sound was arriving too late! The ice was hitting the water as the sound arrived in great rolls!Silence again. But static? No! Is that a creek at the base? No. A river, hardly noticeable on this scale, was gushing from a void at the base of the glacier, violent and raging like a boiling cauldron. This is no creek. This is beyond description. The next day we went Zip Lining. Sandi and I have done this in theTropics a couple times and I must say here, I think the Tropics were much more fun. But the Arboreal forest has much to offer in it's own right. One of our guides knew the trees and our other guide knew the berries and plants, the forest floor. He knew of 6 types of berries that were edible and other plants with medicinal uses. They knew almost nothing of mushrooms. Although they did know of Morels and Chicken Of The Woods(which we found), that was the extent of their mushroom knowledge. Sandi and I started pointing out mushrooms from our perches up in the trees. There were Russulas, Cortinarius, Leccinum, Hedgehogs, Hebaloma,Clitocybe, Yellow Feet... too many to name. They were fascinated!I showed them a few they could eat, the differences, the warnings. It was an exciting trip for all of us. They were ready for a hunt and they had access to the land. What a day! On the Kenai Peninsula everywhere we went is one hour forty minutes away. Anchorage to Seward. Seward to Sterling. Sterling to Seward! Sterling to Homer. Homer to Sterling! Everywhere, that is except for the mushrooms. The mushrooms are not far apart at all. The mushrooms are everywhere you step. Just try and NOTstep on one. Go ahead. Think you can do it? ... Sent two dehydrators ahead of us. Shoulda sent 4. Running 5 right now. Coulda used one more. (That's a poem). Ted showing off an Alaska Gold The hunts were awesome. We found King Boletes, Chicken Of The Woods, Hedgehogs, Hawk's Wings, Yellow Feet, Matsutake, Man On Horseback, Gypsies, Alaska Gold, Bears Head... But those are the mushrooms I didn't eat. Weird huh? Yeah that's weird. But I'm Hughish. I actually tried several though... King Bolete (stipe, no. Cap, fair, on the BBQ), Matsutake (better in Top Ramen), Alaska Gold (no), Russula xeramphalina (no), Man On Horseback (pretty good), Bears Head (that's good!). It really DOES depend on the chef and the method, doesn't it. We have added many species to the original list created by our group from the 2010 trip. Debbie, Irene, Mark and Phil documented 192 species on that list. That was the trip where we had several Mushroom Wizards in our group. A Wizard is one of those people I look up to. Wizards can identify pretty much any mushroom, at least to Genus. Mushrooms not on the 2010 list include Laetiporus conifericola, Ganoderma applanatum(Artist's Conch), Hygrocybe (2 species), Amanita (grisette),Inonotus (Chaga), Neoboletus luridiformis (Boletuserythropus?), Daldinia, Hericium abietis (Bears Head)... To make a long story short, it was another great trip! Now we are home to the Dog Days of Summer. But what a trip! Farewell, Alaska Parting thoughts, Fungi are an ubiquitous, integrated part of life on Earth. Fungi break down organic material until that material cycles again into that which went before it. Mushrooms are everywhere, more common than plants. Life on this planet could not exist without fungi yet few people consider them if they notice them at all. I feel very fortunate to have been exposed early on to the macro world by my mother; the insects in the yard, the fauna in the puddles, and the vast array of creatures in the oceans' tide pools and then, by my brother, the fascinating diversity of the forest and the forest floor. What a thrill! And last, A special thank you to our gracious hosts, Bill and Jerri, who also extend their thanks to their son. Without their son's influence, and without Bill and Jerri's, this kind of trip may not ever have happened. Without them, we may never have experienced Alaska. Thank you!" Hugh sums up our trip pretty much. We found many mushrooms. The B. edulius was plentiful near the lodge, but with all that sunny weather many were big and beautiful, but buggy. As we headed out toward Seward and Girdwood they were younger and pristine. More mushrooms we collected (try to stop us), more mushrooms we had to prep and dry. All the agony of cleaning and prepping a trunk load of mushrooms, pounds and pounds. You got to feel sorry for us! Denali Several of us got on planes and got an amazing unobstructive view of Denali and joined the lucky 10% club, where I too am a member (year 1) while some of us went out to Cooks Inlet to view grizzlies. Both groups got amazing views of glaciers along the way. "The flight over Denali was the high point of the trip for me. Crystal clear weather; glorious views. Loved seeing the Native art exhibits and picking lots of boletes. Potlucks were fantastic. Hugh's antics were delightful and everyone was in high spirits (with a few resultant hangovers)"- Richard Rammer Alaska is truly the last wilderness we have and we need to cherish it. We can freely pick mushrooms in all the parks and they cheer you on, what a breath of fresh air. "What a spectacular time we all had in the Land of the Midnight Sun! The best company, breathtaking scenery, delicious food , more mushrooms than one could take home, tons of laughs and almost too much fun!. What more could anyone ask for!" -Ron Bader Thank you Bill and Jerri for introducing Alaska to us. For those who have made it here, we are lucky. I want to come back... so much more to do and see. "Another magnificent Alaskan foray! Great people and phenomenal mushrooming in the midst of incredible natural beauty. What's not to love? Hard to choose just one highlight, so take your pick: Crossing Kachemak Bay with otters and a pod of humpbacks, followed by a spectacular hike. Denali! Epic quantities of boletes. Mushrooms to dye for! This was my third visit and definitely not the last." - Debbie Johnson Now if I can shake off the tiredness. Days in the Alaskan summer where the sun does not go down until 9PM mess with your cerulean clock. You wake up early and go, go, go all day - hunting, fishing, shopping, hiking and eating. Crash to sleep at midnight. So when you come home, you are dragging for days until you body says OK, I finally made up the rest you failed to provide me on your vacation. Smile Till I return, I will have to hang on to the memories... This was my husband's first trip to Alaska. If his smile is not an advertisement, I don't know what is. Check out Hugh's google photo albums of this trip: Alaska 2016 Part1 Alaska 2016-Mushrooms

I don't know why, but I had this strange desire to attend the annual Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado. I wanted to do this so much it made it my bucket list. I loved the idea of the Festival parade which seemed like a small town parade where folks dressed up as mushrooms. Hearing about the great mushrooms in Colorado did not hurt either. This year, I finally managed to get this Festival on my schedule and I was not disappointed. Majestic Colorado Have you ever visited the Colorado Rockies? It is beautiful. I managed to coerce my friend Genine, another FFSC member, to join me on my adventure and agree to dress up with me for the parade which was the highlight of my trip. This became my sole focus and bucket list item, "to walk in the Telluride festival dressed as a mushroom". No silly Amanita hat for me, for my bucket list it had to be a costume I made. After months of agonizing what to do, I finally got around to make the costume. It took 3 weekends and probably only 6 hours of actual work not including the hours agonizing how to make my vision a reality. Then it was done, and no one was allowed to see until I pranced onto the parade for the "grand reveal". Telluride is NOT a cheap event. The festival tickets are $240 for the early bird tickets. Lodging around Telluride is also pricey, unless you plan on camping out nearby. Adding the plane fare and car rental it all adds up. We landed in Colorado and got into the car and headed to the Rockies. It reminded me of Alaska. The majestic mountains with snow and trees. This was Genine's first time in Colorado and she was amazed. 3 little agarics We spent most of our time hiking in the mountains. Our first festival event was the all day foray led by Chad Hyatt and Chris from the Colorado club. Telluride is located about 8000-9000'. The foray took us to 10,000 to 11,000'. We found mushrooms but for me, each exertion was tough. I had difficulty with the elevation, and it was hard for me not to slow down. It took 3 full days for the acclimation to finally set. By then, I was in full mushroom frenzy. For those of you who have seen me hunting know what that means. Porcini, hawkwings, chanterelles, milk caps and many assorted other fungi. I made a point of collecting fresh specimens for the table. I did however make some of other festival events: Wild Foods Lecture by Katrina Blair which was more focused bio remediation which was very interesting, Wild Food dinner, Beer and Wine happy hour (cordyceps and reishi beer), and the keynote speaker Tradd Cotter who also focused on bio remediation. Here is a link to the events . The festival was trying out a new scheduling experiment, which I felt was trying. You had to line up to get the limited tickets for some of the events. Unfortunately the locations are around town and the overlapping of events do not allow you to stand in line 20 mins before, while you were attending another at a different location. You can plan very carefully what, where and when and for the cost, not being able to attend was frustrating for many ticket holders. Since I was hiking most days it was not possible for me. Here is the link to the festival if you are interested. Everyone should check it out if you can. All in all, it was a fun extended weekend. Lots of good food, good folks, interesting lectures and plenty of nature to explore. Definitely something to do again. Yes we did find mushrooms in Colorado and it was as beautiful as everyone says.

Albion Finds. Photo by Zachary Hunter Former FFSC President Richard Lyness challenged the membership to come up with our own haikus based on the 2016 Fungus Fair theme, "The Secret Life of Fungi". Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. A haiku uses just a few words to create an image in the reader's mind. Traditionally the haiku is written in 3 lines: Five syllables Seven syllables Five syllables Here are haikus our members came up with. "The Secret Life of Fungi" Fungus fair haiku mycellium duff spores rain creative and fun -- Richard Lyness "Fall" Fall is upon us The secret life of fungi Soon to be revealed - -Kathy Welch "Untitled" Cleaning chanterelles Golden glow beneath the mud My, that’s a big one! --Deb "Mushroom haiku" What mushroom are you? Small brown job or something more? Rain drops light your top. --Shea "Red drops" Little red drops peek Hiding in the fuzzy duff Yellow lips glisten --Shea "Mushroom Haiku" First-rain scent rising Moss-quiet expectation Pathless, perfect woods --Susan Labiste "Mushroom Haiku" Matsutake bride In deep humis lies the mate holds her threaded veil --Susan Labiste "haiku" hyphae intertwine beneath the moist duff and soil primordia grow --Marjorie Young Share More Poetry You can share your haikus or other poetry on the FFSC Google Group, FFSC Facebook group, and/or our new FFSC Discord channel!

For those unfamiliar with this NAMA event, it is held at a different location every year, always selected for a time and place where mushrooms are, or at least should be, coming up. This year, contrary to several past years, the selected location had extensive mushrooms, that is if you were over 10,000’ in elevation. The seasonal monsoon conditions favored several southwestern states this year, including Colorado, at least over 10,000’. Every afternoon we were treated to those showy cumulonimbus clouds rolling in accompanied by thunder and lightning. Our last night there we even had a prolonged shower at the camp. It was good to see rain again! This annual foray is a great experience to visit other parts of North America to meet like-minded people and see the mushrooms of that area. Many forays are always held, a full team of sorters and identification experts is on-hand to put names on things and each year, examples of all the mushrooms found are described and vouchered. This year the foray was attended by over 250 people, many that were friends that I’ve made over several past forays. It was great to reacquaint with old friends and make some new ones. Just like our local forays, attendees to the NAMA forays are friendly, easy to talk to and pleasant to be around. For me, the draw for these forays is always the mushrooms. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the wide variety of different mushrooms in different parts of the world. As such, I went out on every opportunity there was to sign up. There were daily all day and four to six half day trips each day so there was ample opportunity to visit different habitats. It is always pleasing and somewhat surprising how many things I recognize. I typically recognize most things I see at least to genus. Even things that appear to be a species I recognize, I am unwilling to try to put a species name on them. I’ve been wrong too many times. Many familiar genera were found: Amanita, Russula, Lactarius, Hebaloma, Suillus, Hygrophorus, Albatrellus, Leccinum, many Cortinarius, etc. A total of just over 150 species were identified and vouchered. While the tables holding the finds from each foray were sagging under the numbers found, many were repeats. The most collected species for the trip was the familiar Amanita muscaria (variety flavivolvata). I had heard reports that a species I was looking forward to finding was abundant this year: the famed red-capped porcini of the Rockies, Boletus rubriceps. And yes it was. They were big,

Please do not request a permit unless you plan on going there.  Remember that in the winter it can be a difficult drive to get to the forest, and you will need to walk 1/2 mile before entering the legal gathering area. Here is the   SDF map   and so me forest rules .   If you would like to request a permit please, visit the Soquel Demo Forest Website and look for the Mushroom Gathering Permit under "Recreation" and follow the instructions on permit request form.  You should recieve your permit by email within a few minutes. Please note that extensive parts of the forest will be closed to access due to recent and ongoing logging activity  Please respect all closures areas so that we can contiue using the forest. Mushroom picking is not permitted in any area administratively closed by the Forest Manager whether or not mushroom gathering is specified on closure signs. From October 16, 2024 through May 1, 2025, Corral Trail and Corral Road remain closed, as well as the entire area of the Sulphur Timber Harvesting Plan (except for passage along Hihn's Mill Road and Sulphur Springs Road). See map below for locations. The Sulphur THP area is closed to entry since hazards exist such as loose hanging branches, rough terrain and loose logs. Please stay on roads while passing through the Sulphur THP area and follow any signage you may encounter along roads and trails. You may not wander into the timber area to gather mushrooms- stay on the road! Failure to obey signage may jeopardize the mushroom gathering program at the forest. Look for Area Closed signs, timber operations, crews working, rehabilitation areas, research sites, etc. and obey the closures.   For more info on the closures, visit the SDF website . Before going to the forest it is always best to check for updated information at https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRESoquel/ . Remember that this forest is in a remote location with very limited cell phone reception. Please follow all of the rules on the permit and posted at the forest. Remember in particular that the parking area and the first 1/2 mile of the road are private property and no picking is permitted. For additional information, see the Calfire website at  Soquel Demonstration State Forest .

I discovered this Laetiporus growing on one of my eucalyptus stumps. To record its growth, I took the same picture every day for 11 days, and sent them out to club members, so we could all watch its growth together.

Local Forays-Sold out    We will offer a series of guided local forays on the weekends of January 7,8 and 14,15. These forays will be led by local mycologists and will have the goal of identifying and learning about our local fungi in their natural habitat. After each foray, our culinary committee volunteers will prepare a tailgate style tasting of incredible mushroom dishes while we discuss the days finds. We will try to keep the group sizes small in order to allow a more personal interaction with our leaders and for covid safety. These will be outdoor events, so be prepared for wet and cold weather and some walking to see our mushroom habitat. The price to attend the walks will be $10 for adults, $5 for full time students and free for children under 12. We are suggesting that participants  make a $5 donation if they will be sharing in the treats prepared by our culinary artists. Xerocomellus atropurpureus Mushroom Lecture Series During the week between the forays, Monday-Friday, January 9-13, we will be offering a series of discussions/talks on Zoom featuring talented mycologists covering a range of topics. This is an opportunity to hear about the exiting work of some great amateur and professional mycologists.The talks will also be live streamed to our Youtube channel for anyone unable to attend the Zoom. Tropical Mushroom Collage. Photo by Lauren Re iNaturalist Project During the forays citizen scientists will be encouraged to document what they see on iNaturalist. Observations will automatically be added to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair – 2023 Mycoblitz Project on iNaturalist. In addition, th e general public are encouraged to record their own fungal observations in the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounding area from January 1-15, 2023 for inclusion in the Mycoblitz. Visit the project page for more information. We hope that this modified format will provide an interesting, educational, fun, and safe event for the whole family, and that next year we can bring back the traditional fair, bigger and better than ever. 2023 Fungus Fair iNaturalist Mycoblitz