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Opening Ceremony with U'ilani Wesley & Art Goodtimes
U'i Wesley, from Xa Kako Dile: , will open the festival with a cultural ceremony that reminds us to honor and respect the land for all that it provides. Art Goodtimes will offer up a poem that sets a tone for the days to come.
Xa Kako Dile: is an Indigenous women-led and directed non-profit organization on ancestral Northern Pomo land in Northern California. Our focus is on uplifting and empowering Indigenous communities through farming using traditional ecological knowledge (TEK); offering healing retreats for Indigenous women to conserve cultural traditions and language; providing education for the community on food sovereignty, herbal medicine, acorn and seaweed harvesting and other TEK practices; and providing gathering spaces for trainings, ceremonies and a living laboratory to support local tribes.
Restoring Balance: Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainable Harvesting and Mycoremediation with Jessica Brown
This presentation explores the intersection of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), sustainable harvesting, and mycoremediation as pathways for restoring balance to the land. Jessica Brown shares Indigenous perspectives on working in reciprocity with fungi and native ecosystems—honoring cultural protocols while addressing modern ecological challenges such as soil contamination, erosion, and biodiversity loss. Jessica Brown is a Southeastern Pomo ethnobotanist and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) practitioner dedicated to the revitalization of Indigenous land stewardship practices throughout Northern California. She works in partnership with tribes, conservation organizations, and educational institutions to integrate TEK into ecosystem restoration, seed sovereignty, and cultural education initiatives. Through her work with Xa Kako Dile’ and other community-based projects, Jessica advances ecological healing rooted in cultural continuity, biodiversity, and community resilience. Sniffing for fungi: How dogs can reveal the hidden world of truffle diversity with Heather Dawson and truffle dogs Rye & Pyro
Truffle dogs are well-known to excel at finding top-quality culinary truffles, but are under-utilized as a method to learn more about the hundreds of other hypogeous fungi that produce truffle aromas. These underground fruiting fungi may be rarely spotted by mushroom foragers, but play important roles in the forest as food for small mammals and mycorrhizal partners with trees. In this presentation, Heather Dawson will explain how she has trained her dogs for truffle diversity and will share the wide assortment of different truffle species that can be found across the west coast. Following the presentation, a short truffle dog demonstration will be performed with Heather's dogs Rye & Pyro. 
Heather Dawson is a PhD student at the University of Oregon studying truffle biodiversity with a focus on truffles in oak savanna. She has spent the last 5 years following her truffle dogs around the woods learning first-hand about the vast number of truffle species that are easily detected by a canine nose. Heather trains her dogs as "truffle diversity dogs" to recognize truffle aromas of any type, so they are able to find countless different species, not just the gourmet varieties. Her primary truffle dog, Rye, has an exceptional talent for generalizing truffle aroma and has found truffles from around 50 different fungal genera. Heather's younger dog, Pyro, is quickly learning the tricks of the trade as well. Given the challenges in studying these hidden fungi, the abilities of these trained dogs demonstrate an exciting method to expand current knowledge of truffle diversity and ecology.
Mushroom Poetry Show and Talking Gourd Circle with Art Goodtimes & Mendocino County PoetsPoetry from multiple poets followed by a sharing circle where everyone in attendance can read a mushroom poem, tell a mushroom story, or sing a mushroom song.
For more information about all the poets please check out the Poets page. 
Connections
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An exploration of Truffles with Todd Spanier
Todd Spanier, the self-proclaimed King of Mushrooms, will take you on a culinary exploration of the aromatic truffle. After his presentation, for those who have purchased a tasting ticket, he will serve a warm, pillowy chestnut-flour bombolone (a donut-like circular cake) lightly crisp on the outside, tender and nutty within — filled with a silky truffle cheese mousse that melts just slightly when bitten into, releasing the heady perfume of black Burgundy truffle. This will be paired with a special tea selection from Mendocino Tea. 
Todd Spanier: Owner and Founder of King of Mushrooms
I welcome you to my kingdom! I have been foraging Mushrooms since age five, the tradition and heritage of the Fungaiolo was shared with me by my grandfather Ed Marcellini. Todd is also the founder and CEO of California Truffle Orchards, providing professional truffle orchard (truffière) management to California truffle farmers and supplying inoculated seedlings. Passport to Kingdom Fungi with Dr. Gordon Walker
Journey into the heart of the fungal realm with Dr. Gordon Walker and his new book, Passport to Kingdom Fungi: An introduction to the wild, weird, and wonderful world of mushrooms, molds, and more. A comprehensive and accessible overview of all the incredible forms that fungi take, the unexpected ways they live, and how they affect our lives. Also covering a variety of edible, toxic, functional, and dye mushrooms.
He is a passionate advocate for mushrooms, fungal conservation, and environmental sustainability.
Zappa Montag: Black folks and Mushrooms
In this presentation by Zappa Montag, co-founder of Black to the Land, We will explore the growing interest among Black people in mushrooming, foraging, and related subjects.
Zappa Montag was born in New York City as a child of the hippies in 1969. He moved to Mendocino county in 1971 or 2. Mushrooming was always a thing that folks around him were into, and foraged mushrooms were often on the menu at home. After many adventures he has returned to the area of his youth, and now resides in Boonville where he works as part of Black to the Land, a group dedicated to healing and nature connection for Black and adjacent communities. Black to the Land is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to instilling ecological principles in the development of a generation of Black Earth stewards, healers, activists, and visionaries. We are committed to fostering environmental awareness and sustainable practices as we embark on impactful projects designed to empower and uplift communities.
Mushroom Basics
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