President's Message

Theresa Halula

Happily, the forest has been full of fungi over this past holiday weekend.  I hope everyone has had a moment to settle, enjoy the things you love and were able to hunt mushrooms after our recent rains!

We are all so happy to welcome our new Mycena News Editor, Mickey Zeif.  Mickey has volunteered to accept our, stories, announcements, and photos for publication.  Please contact him to propose content for consideration toward publication.

I was delighted to see full participation with the society sponsored forays in McLaren Park, Point Reyes, Salt Point and beyond. Every foray found edibles, and all went home with more experience and new friends.  Thank you to our foray leaders Paul Koski, Curt Haney, and Gregg Miller.  Members are invited to plan and lead additional forays for the Society, connect with Curt Haney to set them up.  Local walks, short walks as well as forays further afield are welcome.  Members with less experience really need your experience to show them where to look and how to use field guides and iNaturalist to ID their found fungi.  I find a great deal of material in the city in gardens and along roadways.  I’ve conditioned my partner to respond while driving when I shout “Stop, I see a mushroom”  More forays are being scheduled for later this season.  Forays are being planned for January 22 to collect for the Fungus Fair Displays.  You can volunteer for these forays using https://mssf.ivolunteer.com until the foray parties are full.  Don’t forget to get your Jackson State Forest mushroom hunting permit if you plan to hunt there. - Jackson State Forest mushroom hunting-permit-by-mail-packet

I can’t say often enough how important your volunteer time for the fungus fair is to the Society.  The Vendor Coordinator, Helena and Food Service Manager, Mike have a lot to do, and want your help.  Mike needs chef demos, soup kitchen crew, beverage project, and more.  Please connect with KO and Gregg to get signed up as soon as possible.  Gregg Miller and KO have been hard at work leading the committee making plans, signing up guest speakers, PR, arranging activities and book signings and foray coordination.  We are having a great time getting things in order for the event,  Please join us for advance preparations.  There is a current and timely need for a graphic artist to prepare signage and banners as soon as possible.  We are collecting oral history over zoom from members; you participate from home.  If you want to record an interview to share your experience or remember old friends from the Society, we are standing by to work with you.  Great things are happening!
   
Following the holiday weekend, I am grateful for your support of the Society, the optimism our members have, and the passion members bring to the exploration of fungi.  Our members are amazing!  We are grateful for your renewed memberships, continued participation at general meetings and coming out for events and activities with us as we emerge from this dark period of isolation.  The mushrooms are up, enjoy this ephemeral part of the year when fungi are fruiting.

A Holiday Dinner is planned.  If you want to discuss participation, please call me.
Theresa Halula, MSSF President, 2020-2022