PURPOSE
The purpose of the San Diego Mycological Society (SDMYCO for short) is to foster and expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology found in San Diego and beyond.
WHO WE ARE
The San Diego Mycological Society was established in 1997 by folks interested in mushrooms. Our membership is made up of people at various levels of involvement – amateurs, enthusiasts, professionals. We are interested in mushrooms for a variety of reasons: culinary, cultivation, identification, photography, ecology, and more. We conduct classes, lead forays to find mushrooms, assist in mushroom identification, and share mushroom dinners and parties.
WHAT WE DO
- Meetings: We meet the first Monday of the month. We bring in mushrooms to identify, have slideshows, host guest lecturers, share mushroom recipes and sometimes mushroom foods. Some topics have been about finding mushrooms in local habitat, mushroom photos, medicinal uses for mushrooms, and truffle cultivation.
- Forays: Mushroom hunts are regularly led by our knowledgeable volunteers into the fungal jungles of San Diego county and environs. Bring your basket!
- Fungus Fairs: Our annual event takes place in Balboa Park – there are display tables with specimens of local fungi, mushroom photos, food, books, t-shirts and mushrooms to buy, children’s activities, and demonstrations on a variety of mushroom topics.
- Classes: Beginner and Intermediate mycology classes are offered from time to time. Become a member to receive our newsletter or visit our website for more information.
WHEN & WHERE WE MEET
First Monday of the month, 6:30pm to 9pm, October through May at Casa Del Prado Building, Room 101 in Balboa Park (adjacent to the Natural History Museum).
LOOKING TO SUPPORT OUR TEAM?
for more info contact us
ELECTIONS WERE HELD THIS PAST NOVEMBER 4th, 2024.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW PART OF THE SDMS – B.o.D. team!
OUR 2024-2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS TEAM!!
(please consider running for a position in our upcoming elections!)
SDMYCO Bylaws
CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SDMYCO Officers
Cassandra Ablola, President
Vacant, Vice President
Mark Jenne, Secretary
Melissa Casey, Treasure
Darcy Salzl, Operations Director
Fungus Fair
Hoa Nguyen, Volunteer Coordinator
Patricia Andrews, Vendor Coordinator
Field Trips
Mark Jenne, Chair
Tilly Sirota
Michael Preston
Sundari Masters
Visual Arts
Sundari Masters, Chair
Bee
Tilly Sirota
Mica Palomares
Newsletter
Alonna Farrar, Editor
Website
Luis Daniel Rangel Tovar, Chair
Citizen Science
Mary Ann Hawke, Chair
Education
Carldee Soriano, Chair
Membership
Vacant
Resident Mycologists
Pat Nolan
Dennis Sharmahd
Bonni Thoresen
Steve Farrar
Les Braund
Sam Andrasko
President: Cassandra Ablola
Member since October 2014.
Previously served as Treasurer for SDMYCO 2017-2021 and this is the fourth year serving as President.
There is so much more than the common button or magic mushroom in terms of varieties of fungi. Bioluminescent species glow in the night forest and rich hues of caps and stems can be found throughout the globe, like an artist’s color palette whose inspiration is found directly in nature. I hope to illuminate this subject and share my passion for these forms.
I love finding mushrooms in their natural habitat and so far I have seen many in the western U.S., several countries in Europe and the Philippines! Looking forward to many fruitful forays in the future!
Secretary: Mark Jenne
I’ve been a member of the SDMS for a few years now, and have mostly just enjoyed the activities without doing much to keep the gears turning. Fungi are everywhere, mysterious, beautiful, surprising, and fascinating–what’s not to like? I’ve been doing volunteer work (restoration, education) at the San Elijo Lagoon for several years and was always intrigued by the mushrooms we found and surprised that none of the naturalists could talk about them or often even identify them, and now find myself slowly becoming “the mushroom guy” in the group of naturalists/docents there.
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Treasurer: Melissa Casey
Mel’s professional background is reminiscent of a fungal root system….it has been marked by diverse experiences with numerous industries and opportunities just as mycorrhiza are marked by their relationships with a variety of plant roots- symbiotically, of course.
Newsletter Editor: Alonna Farrar
Married for 42 years to (mushroom grower and entrepreneur since 1982) Steve Farrar, with 2 children and a granddaughter. I have sold mushrooms at farmers markets and fairs in the area since my husband first started growing oyster, beech, shiitake & enoki mushrooms here in 1987- 2006 and since then 11 different medicinal mushrooms for OM mushrooms / M2 ingredients.
My studies in Washington and California State community colleges, Washington State U and U of Idaho has been majoring in Fine Arts and Graphic Communication Arts. I have worked freelance since 1982 in Scientific and Medical Illustration, Courtroom Graphics, and various product graphics (including mushroom packaging, sometimes for other mushroom growers as well), illustration, web sites and branding. In 2017, I retired after 16 years working FT as a graphic artist for Palomar College in San Marcos. We have lived in San Diego County since 1987. I have enjoyed being a member of the San Diego Mycological Society since 2000 or so and learning about different wild mushrooms, going on forays and meeting some amazing members of mycological groups in the United States including attending 4 Telluride Mushroom Festivals. I look forward to helping with social media for our SDMYCO group and meeting other new members. Members: Please let me know if you have any useful information or pictures that you would like to share on our social media platforms.
Visual Arts Chair: Sundari Masters
Art and nature have always been pillars in my life, however, when I was introduced to the world of mycology in February 2023, I fell in love and never looked back. I became a member the same month, diving deeper and deeper into the world of fungi, as it began changing my art and the way that I perceive the natural world forever. I am honored to have the opportunity to foster awareness of mycology as an inspiration and medium in art and to celebrate all the creativity that exists in this amazing community.
Education Chair: Carldee Soriano
Experienced microbiologist from Biotech/Pharma transitioning into the role of Education Director and New Member. Proficient in mycology with cultivation and identification, adept at creating engaging educational content. Skilled in curriculum development as worked in Elementary Institute of Science as instructor. Fostering a learning environment by collaborating with others, and passionate about increasing awareness. 🍄📚
Citizen Science Chair: Mary Ann Hawke
As one of the scientists in SDMYCO, I’ve been working on citizen science projects like DNA barcoding the mushrooms of San Diego and research projects like studying fungal spores at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. I love the way that mycology brings together such a diverse group of people, who all have their own reasons for being interested in fungi, whether it is through science, cultivation, food, human health, ecological health, travel, or art.
Resident Mycologist: Pat Nolan
I’ve been with the club from nearly the start. I’m a plant pathologist so I see a lot of microfungi, but wasn’t very familiar with the macrofungi and the club is a great way to learn about them and meet great people.
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Resident Mycologist: Steve Farrar
Steve Farrar has been growing mushrooms in San Diego County since 1987. Originally a Horticulturist, Steve became entangled in the Kingdom Fungi early in his career. He is a co-founder of M2 Ingredients, Inc. (the parent company of OM Mushroom Nutrition), a company in North San Diego that cultivates 11 species of medicinal/functional mushrooms that are processed into organic dietary supplement and health food ingredients. He is a long time member of SD Mycological and has visited mushroom farms and attended forays and mushroom symposiums all over the world. He gives frequent presentations about medicinal mushrooms to a variety of audiences.
Resident Mushroom Dance Manager: Michelle Innis
My husband and I joined the club in 2012 and I was secretary for four years. I initially took a master gardeners class with a focus on mushrooms taught by one of our members, Sam Andrasko of Creekside Mushroom Farms. I was interested from a medicinal point because of my son’s illness. We have been growing shiitake at home for five or six years. Mushrooms are a natural fit in my life as we love to hike and photographing them out in the wild has become one of my greatest joys.
Resident Mycologist: Bonni Thoresen
SDMYCO was being founded at the time I first encountered the mushrooms that got me hooked on studying mycology, Amanita muscaria. Luckily, I was soon directed to the club and have been involved ever since helping with the board, mushroom fairs and forays. SDMYCO has been a haven of like-minded people, educating, inspiring and becoming friends.
Founding Member: Elio Schaechter
Elio, co-founder of SDMYCO, has been a great source of inspiration and teacher to many over the years. Elio maintains teaching positions at both SDSU and UCSD. Elio loves writing and besides authoring dozens of scientific papers and classic microbiology books, in 1997 his delightful book, In the Company of Mushrooms, was published by the Harvard University Press. In 2006, he helped originate the popular blog Small Things Considered, published by the American Society for Microbiology, with which Elio and co-bloggers continue to share appreciation of Earth’s microbes which of course, sometimes feature fungi!
About 25 years ago, Elio and a few like-minded folks joined efforts and started compiling an online collection of mostly European classical artworks depicting mushrooms. A few years ago NAMA adopted and incorporated the Registry of Mushrooms in Works of Art.