Mycological Society of San Francisco

Fungus Fair, December 8, 2024

From Saucepan to Science: Foraging, Feasting, and Phylogeny

Shannon Adams

Shannon Adams is a UX Researcher and Cortinarius hunter based in Seattle, Washington. With a deep passion for fungi that began with wild mushrooms foraged from termite mounds in South Africa, and developed on family foraging trips in the Pacific Northwest. Over two decades, Shannon has evolved her interest from foraging to make a contribution to the scientific study of Cascadia mushrooms. Her expertise lies mainly in the genus Cortinarius, a complex group of fungi she studies and documents with over 1,400 specimens in her personal Fungarium. In addition to her research, Shannon is committed to sharing knowledge with others. She regularly presents at mushroom shows, leads foraging workshops, moderates online forums, and advocates for community science initiatives to empower recreational foragers and amateur mycologists to learn and contribute to fungal taxonomy.

Talk

From Saucepan to Science: Foraging, Feasting, and Phylogeny

Join Shannon Adams as she takes you on a journey from the fun of foraging to the fascinating question of "what mushrooms are actually out there?". Starting with her journey as a newcomer to mushrooms, Shannon will share easy but essential skills for identifying common edible mushrooms and then delve into some simple steps that foragers can take to contribute to our knowledge of the mushrooms around us. Using her work on the genus Cortinarius as an example, she’ll show how more people are making a meaningful impact through community science. Whether new to mushrooms or eager to dive deeper, this talk is a gateway to take your interest to the next level.

Past Fairs

The Mycological Society of San Francisco has been hosting 1 or 2 Fungus Fairs each year since 1969. Fairs have been held in San Francisco County, Alameda County, San Mateo County, and Marin County. Historical information is available about previous Fungus Fairs: