Learn About Mushrooms
The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz is all about educating its members and the general public about the dangers and delights of collecting, studying, consuming , and creating art with wild mushrooms. We understand that people learn in different ways. We aim to offer something for everyone!
Winter Chanterelles Bunch. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden
Classes & Speakers
FFSC members take ID classes & workshops from our science advisors to learn the systematic procedures of mushroom identification. This is particularly critical for anyone planning to eat wild mushrooms.
We host monthly speakers, and also invite speakers to present at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair and some of our Long Distance Forays.
Plus, we share recipes for mushroom dishes, along with information about external classes for people interested in photographing mushrooms, cooking mushrooms, and even creating crafts with mushrooms!
Online Learning
Our Featured Fungi pages highlight some of the local (and few not-so-local) mushrooms that you may find in your wanderings, courtesy of our current and past science advisors and foray leaders.
As tech evolves, we're also experimenting with new ways to share tips and advice to help people learn about mushrooms! Check out our free FFSC Online Learning area for our first few programs on how to get started with collecting and identifying mushrooms.
Note: The educational content we provide on this website is intended to supplement (not replace) formal classes, published books and field guides. |
Informal Knowledge Sharing
Many FFSC members enjoy sharing their knowledge and experience via our Google Group mailing list, as well as in person at our club events, and at our biggest event: The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair.
Knowledgeable members of FFSC make themselves available to provide mushroom ID services to others. (In fact, local hospitals have consulted with a select group of our science advisors for many years, to evaluate mushroom poisoning cases.)
Special Projects & Scholarships
Are you working on a mycology project at your school? FFSC offers scholarships and grants to support STEM and mycology research. See the Scholarships page for more information.