What are Forays?
A foray is an outdoor hike where we explore diverse habitats and learn about fascinating fungi. We identify and photograph the mushrooms we find, and we collect mushrooms where permitted.
Braving the California winter on an FFSC local foray
FFSC forays are designed to be both educational and a great way to connect with nature and fellow fungiphiles.
This is one of the safest ways to learn about hunting and identifying mushrooms! You get to see many different types of mushrooms that others collected (when collection is permitted). Plus, the foray leader and experienced members can help you verify what you think you found.
How Do FFSC's Forays Work?
After you register for a foray, the trip leader will send you details about where to meet, etc.
On some forays, we explore a forest as a group. On others, we each go in different directions and then reconvene at the end of the day to look at what everyone found. If you're still new to mushroom identification, our science advisors and other experienced members can help you identify what you found.
Learn more about the different types of forays we offer:
After the Hunt
Mushrooms fascinate us, and we love to hear and read tales of the hunt. Here are some ways members share their experiences:
Field Reports: We publish field reports on this website. Field reports typically list all the species that we identified, or they recap how a hunt went. Most field reports are only available to FFSC members (with a few exceptions).
Personal Stories: Many members post brief recaps of their trips and discoveries in our News & Stories pages, on our Google Group community mailing list, and/or our Facebook Group. Visit our Contact FFSC page for info about how to access our social channels.
Photos: We occasionally choose interesting and/or beautiful photos from our members' postings and feature them in our Mushroom Photo Gallery.