2022-23 Season

2022-2023 MCMC Monthly Meeting & Event Lineup

General Club meetings - All are welcome.
We’ll socialize and talk mushrooms. If anyone finds any mushrooms, please bring them for show and tell.
All meetings will be held on the third Wednesday (except December), from October through May

Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Venue: online via Zoom and in-person. See the meeting dates below for exact location.

October 19: FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg & Zoom
Meet and greet, and catch up. Talk about ideas and plans for upcoming meetings.
Meeting Recording

November 16: CLUB MEETING
Location: The Education Center at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens & Zoom
Speakers: Angelic Garza and Niko Summers
Topic: Mushrooms and Indigenous Plant Medicine Talk
Surprise Guest Speaker: Alan Rockefeller

December 14: CLUB MEETING
Location: Zoom ONLY
Speaker: Noah Siegel
Topic: Exploring the Unknown: Cryptic Mushroom Diversity In Your Backyard
California has an extremely diverse 'mycoflora', with over 4,000 species of macro fungi documented. Modern taxonomical tools have shown that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This talk will highlight some of the recent discoveries, and how you can help move mycology forward

January 18: CLUB MEETING
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg & Zoom
Speaker: Daniel Winkler
Topic: "Fungal Fruits of the Forest" - Edible Mushrooms
of the PNW"
Daniel will present in detail our choice edible mushrooms such as morels, chanterelles, hedgehogs, king boletes, bear head and cauliflower mushroom which are easy to identify, helping one to overcome fungophobia and truly appreciate wild mushrooms. However, there are many more other mushrooms that need much more experience for safe identification. In this richly illustrated presentation Daniel will help you get to know, identify and find many great edible mushrooms while steering you clear of dangerous look-a-likes. You will be advised how to properly collect, carefully transport, safely prepare and reliably store your mushrooms. Key in finding prime mushrooms is getting to know their preferred habitat and their seasonality. Daniel will share lots of new insights from his new book “Fruits of the Forest – Handbook to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest", which Daniel will have copies for sale ($25). In addition, Daniel is mixing in some fungal fun & facts from his ethno-mycological research and Mushroaming adventure travels.

February 15: CLUB MEETING
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg & Zoom
Speaker: Lisa Green
Topic: Recent Scientific Advances in Understanding the Therapeutic Value of Psilocybin Mushrooms
Mushrooms containing psilocybin have been used in sacred rituals for 3,000 years in Mexico. Recently there has been a proliferation of research studies on the therapeutic value of these mushrooms and the bioactive compounds they contain, and overall the results have been very promising. As news spreads about these scientific advances, many people find themselves curious about the details and applications. This talk will review recent research, discuss their biomedical implications, and give an overview of some of the ways people have incorporated this new knowledge into personal practices like microdosing.
Meeting Recording
Link to Slide Deck

WORKSHOP
February 18: Online Phaeolus schweinitzii Dye Workshop

March 15: CLUB MEETING
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg & Zoom
Speaker: Klara Scharnagl, PhD
Topic: The role of lichenized fungi in the Homogenocene
Before the term "Anthropocene" was proposed for our age, another term, the "Homogenocene," was proposed. This was proposed to describe the condition by which human globalization combined with invasive species was homogenizing global biodiversity. Here I will present some evidence from lichen communities about other ways that the earth's biodiversity is homogenizing, and what long term impacts this may have. I invite a general discussion at the end of what other groups of fungi we should examine in the light of the Homogenocene.
Meeting Recording

WORKSHOP
April 15 & 16: Mycopigments: Mushroom and Lichen Dyes of the Mendocino Coast with Alissa Allen
Sponsored by the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club and Pacific Textile Arts.

Learn More

April 19: CLUB MEETING
Location: The Education Center at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens & Zoom
Speaker: Alissa Allen
Topic: Mycopigments: Dye Mushrooms are for Everyone
Meeting Recording

May 17: LAST CLUB MEETING OF THE SEASON & POTLUCK!
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg & Zoom
Speaker & Topic: JDSF Panel Discussion & Potluck
We'll have a discussion with a panel of speakers associated with JDSF to talk about permits, forest health, biodiversity and how to get involved via organizations related to JDSF. We'll finish the evening with a potluck dinner.
Meeting Recording

Niko Summers & Angelic Garza

Alan Rockefeller

Noah Siegel

Daniel Winkler

Lisa Green

Dr. Klara Scharnagl

Alissa Allen

JDSF Panel

2022-2023 Speaker Profiles

Angelic Garza

Angelic loves learning and teaching about mother nature, fishing and all things fungi.She farms fungi at Hunt Over Farm and leads retreats and workshops at NorCal Foraging, Fishing and Plant Medicine group. You can find her on Facebook.

Niko Summers

Niko is a fifth-generation herbalist and comes from a long line of root workers and midwives. He became fascinated by fungi while studying their medicinal properties. In 2020, Niko founded Native Mushrooms, a mycology company that cultivates rare and medicinal species.

When not studying herbs or fungi, Niko likes to go foraging in the woods or spend time in his garden.

He is a Native San Franciscan, where he still lives with his dog. Find him on Instagram @nativemushrooms.

Niko recently collaborated with June Lee to author Mushrooms: An Illustrated Field Guide: a compact, beautifully illustrated field guide to 50 of North America’s most popular mushrooms. Inside this elegant hardcover, you’ll find profiles on individual species, each showcasing a full-page illustration, plus a definition of fungi, information on where to find mushrooms and how—and when—to collect them, and, last but not least, notes on how to avoid mushroom poisoning.

Alan Rockefeller

Alan roams the globe studying mushrooms—has microscope; will travel. Based out of Oakland, CA, Alan does DNA sequencing, photography, identification for iNaturalist (44,000 IDs in 2020!) and is also one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet concerning psilocybe mushrooms and their distribution.

Much of his photography is on display in Mushroom Observer and iNaturalist, as well as on his Facebook page, along with lots for great tips on how to photograph mushrooms and advice on gear. You'll also find links to his published articles.

Noah Siegel

Noah’s field mycology skills are extensive – he has spent over two decades seeking, photographing, identifying, and furthering his knowledge about all aspects of macrofungi. He has hunted for mushrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as on multiple expeditions to New Zealand and Australia.

He is one of the premier mushroom photographers in the nation, having won numerous awards from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) photography contest. His technique and attention to detail are unrivaled, arising from a philosophy of maximizing utility for identification purposes while maintaining a high degree of aesthetic appeal. His photographs have appeared on the covers and have been featured in articles of multiple issues of FUNGI Magazine and Mushroom the Journal, the primary mushroom enthusiast magazines in the United States, numerous mushroom books, as well as many club publications.

He is co-author, along with Christian Schwarz, of Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, a comprehensive guide for the northern California coast. With full treatments of more than 750 species, and references to hundreds more, tips on mushroom collecting, descriptions of specific habitats and bio-zones, updated taxonomy, and stunning photography, this book is the most modern and comprehensive guide to mushrooms in the region.

Please buy the book from the authors' website or your local book seller.

Noah travels and lectures extensively across America, following the mushrooms from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.

Daniel Winkler

Daniel grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms in the Alps and is sharing his enthusiasm as an ethno-mycologist, mushroom educator, photographer and guide.
In his presentations he is combining his stunning photography with a blend of entertaining stories and scientific information.
Daniel managed to bend his career as an ecologist and geographer focused on High Asia towards researching Tibet's enormous fungal economy. His ethno-mycological Cordyceps research has been featured in National Geographic, New York Times, The Economist, NPR, BBC World Service etc. In the last decade Daniel started exploring neotropical fungi. With his travel agency MushRoaming Daniel is organizing mushroom focused eco-adventures since 2007, current destinations are Bhutan and Colombia.

Daniel just published his “Fruits of the Forest – Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Edible Mushrooms” (available at mushroaming.com), a product of a life time of mushroom hunting, the last twenty-five in Western North America.

Daniel previously published a series of fold-out field guides: Edible Mushrooms of the PNW, Edibles of California (both Harbour Publishing), Amazon Mushrooms, and Medicinal Mushrooms of North America, as well as MycoCards "Boletes of Western North America".

Lisa Green

Lisa Green grew up spending most of her free time in the woods and/or reading science books. As an adult, her love of science led her to the UC Berkeley Chemistry department. After many years at Berkeley she earned her PhD, and then went on to do science, math, and policy work for many years. She currently lives on the Mendocino coast where she brews kombucha and spends her free time walking in the woods, reading books, and swimming in the ocean.

Dr. Klara Scharnagl

Dr. Klara Scharnagl is currently the Tucker Curator of Lichenology at the University of California Berkeley Herbarium. Since the age of six, she has had a passion for learning about fungi, and during her graduate studies she has investigated the ecology of multiple fungal symbioses, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and lichens.

Klara is interested in the mechanisms involved in initiating and maintaining these fungal symbioses, and the roles that these symbiotic organisms play in the environment, particularly in response to global climate change

Alissa Allen

Alissa Allen is the founder of Mycopigments. She specializes in teaching about regional mushroom and lichen dye palettes to fiber artists and mushroom enthusiasts all over the world.

Alissa got her start in the Pacific Northwest and has been sharing her passion for mushrooms for over 20 years. She has written articles for Fungi Magazine and Fibershed, is published in Nature's Colorways: Conjuring the Chemistry and Culture of Natural Dyes, Long Thread Media, and her work with mushroom dyes is highlighted in True Colors: World Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments by Keith Recker, Thrums Publications.

In 2015, Alissa created Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United and the Mushroom Dyers Trading Post Facebook groups as a platform to mentor, connect, and facilitate discussion between her students and folks with less access to her classes. These groups along with her prolific workshop offerings and informational dye booths have brought together a vibrant community of over 30,000 members.

Though her teachings are centered around regional fungal dye palettes, her overall mission is to inspire people to engage more deeply with nature. It is her hope that with engagement, commitment to care for our planet will grow exponentially.