Virtual Mushroom Identification Class (by Ian Hunter)

This year’s mushroom identification class will be different from those in the past due to the restrictions placed upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic. We will be conducting the meetings by Zoom, and participants will be expected to find and attempt to identify mushrooms in the time between the two meetings. This class is aimed at students who have a serious interest in learning how to identify mushrooms and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn. The class will consist of two sessions - the first on Thursday, February 10th from 7-8pm, and the second on Monday, February 14th Tuesday, February 15th from 7-9pm. Sign ups for this event will open on Monday, January 31st at 7 pm, and will only be available to FFSC members. Please ensure you will be able to attend both sessions before registering for the event.

In the first session, Phil Carpenter will use the common field guides Mushrooms Demystified and Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast to go through the process of putting names on several mushrooms. Of course, questions and discussions can occur as well. Between the two dates, everyone is required to collect some mushrooms and put names on them as best you can based upon the lessons given in the first session.

The second session will be a discussion of the mushrooms which have been named, going over the process used to arrive at the name, with instruction to correct the identification if it was misnamed.  By necessity this will need to be done one specimen at a time. As many as possible will be covered in the time allotted.

To participate in these sessions, students will need to have access Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora, since it contains the detailed keys that are the most practical way to reach accurate identifications.  Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast  by Christian Schwarz and Noah Siegel is also valuable since it has more up to date names and is focused on the common mushrooms found in our area, but it lacks the detailed keys.  Students will also need a way of taking good quality photographs and are expected to post the photos to iNaturalist for sharing and discussion in the second session.

The class will be limited to the first 30 attendees. Registration will open Monday, January 31st at 7pm, and will only be available to FFSC members. Please login to view the registration link.