Blog
Is it safe to harvest mushrooms near quarries or mines?
Someone recently asked about harvesting mushrooms near a quarry and wondered if I had any specific guidelines surrounding this. I asked a friend and soil scientist for his feelings on this. Here are some of the things he had to say about it 1. What was quarried?...
Using iNaturalist to estimate annual variability in fungi fruiting
Mushroom foragers and enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest have been lamenting the unseasonably dry weather we have had over the past 4 months. While summer is typically quite dry, 2022 was the driest Jul-Sept on record for the Seattle area and likely also for most of...
Gathering Mushrooms Oct 29
We're organized guided, and self-guided groups to gathering mushrooms for the show on Sunday Oct 30. Guided tours are available on Oct 29, and self-guided groups are possible on both Saturday and Sunday. Guided Tours Sat Oct 29 @ 10am ($100)Ticket Link Self-Guided...
PNW Boletes
I just finished the first version of a PNW Boletes illustration. These are organized into general groups by Genus which should help to simplify things. Beginners intersted in edible boletes should focus on the Boletus genus first since these are more common, tasty,...
Scaly Chanterelle
I have been playing around with some tools for creating 3d models of mushrooms and I think this scaly chanterelle came out really well. If you haven't seen this mushroom before this model should give you a really good feel for the mushroom that is difficult to...
Bolt Creek Fire Skykomish
Another warm/dry stretch in western Washington led to an expanding perimeter of the Bolt Creek fire near Skykomish. The fire has crept up on hwy 2 resulting in a 4-mile stretch being closed in both directions from Baring to Skykomish. According to an InciWeb update...
Medium to large fleshy woodlovers
Identifying a mushroom by flipping through a guidebook can be daunting. Most guidebooks help you navigate to a particular group using a few simple characteristics which often begins with spore color. There are more ways to organize mushrooms into similar groups but...
Where is this smoke coming from?
One of the things we are learning to accept with dry summers is annual forest fires. This image was taken on Saturday from Mount Erie in Anacortes. The camera filter exaggerated the sepia tones but I think it still captures the apocalyptic feel outside over the past...
North American Mycological Society Speaker’s List
A big thanks to Bruch Reed and the North American Mycological Society for adding me to the NAMA Speakers Bureau. I am happy to present on a variety of mushroom topics for your club, organization, company, or school. Key Areas: Mushrooms for Beginners Strategies for...
Mushroom Resources for Educators
Lesson Plans for Mushrooms There has been an increasing level of interest among educators for lesson plans or curricula related to mushrooms and the fungal kingdom. I have started creating lesson plans targeting middle school students and will begin sharing by this...