David Gardella

 
Deep in the Mendocino Woodlands, MSSF members, friends, and family, gather once again for our annual north coast fungal rite of autumn.  This weekend-long spectacular mycological event includes great mushroom themed dinners, guided forays, fun informative presentations, and plenty of mushrooms!
 
Thanks to all of you MSSF members who are signed up for this year’s triumphant fungal return to the Woodlands! We sold out quickly this year and will have a full house of mushroom enthusiasts old and new alike. For those of you that wanted to attend Mendo Camp but couldn’t this year, mark your calendars for the next Mendo Camp which will be held once again in November 2025. Specific dates TBD.
 
2024 Friday evening presenter will be: Noah Siegel

2024 Saturday evening presenter will be: Dr. Cat Adams
 
2024 Mendo Camp Foray Leaders & Co-Leaders:
Brennan Wenck , Cat Adams, Enrique Sanchez, Jenna Hinshaw, JR Blair, Ken Litchfield, Maria Pham, Noah Siegel, Norm Andersen, and Pascal Pelous,
 
Additional mushroom workshops and talks by Gayle Still, Karen Rusiniak, Natasha Jimenez and Else Vellinga, Mendo Camp Mycologist. Saturday afternoon appetizer hour led by Chefs Andy Still and Phil Minnick
 
All on-site meals and lodging (Friday night through Sunday lunch) are provided by Good Thyme Herb Co. Cultivated and wild mushrooms listed in the weekend menu generously donated by Far West Fungi.
 
We hope you have received your JDSF mushroom permit! For those of you not attending camp but who may visit JDSF through the season, here’s the link to the mail in application form on the JDSF Cal Fire Website: JDSF Mushroom Picking Permit
*The JDSF Calfire office has stated that if you are short on time, sending the application USPS Priority Mail with a Priority Mail return envelope will help cut down on the permit processing time.
 
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:
- Cancellations made before 12:00am on November 1st 2024 will be issued a refund minus any applied Humanitix fees.
- Cancellation requests made after midnight Friday 11/1/24 will receive a refund of 50% of the ticket price not including any applied Humanitix fees.
-MSSF must provide attendee numbers and payment to the caterer one week in advance, along with other camp fees, whether a person shows up or not.
- We do want you take care of your health, while being mindful of others, and understand any unforeseen cancellation due to illness. However, we still must cover the catering and overhead fees if you cancel less than a week in advance.
- This annual mushroom event happens, rain or shine - weather DOES NOT cancel the event - and is not a valid reason to request a refund.
 
For more information about Mendo Camp, please visit in the Mendo Camp Info Page on the MSSF website or the Groups.io Mendo Camp Foray page
 
For registration questions, please e-mail Stephanie Wright at:  mendoregistrar@mssf.org or call (510)-388-5009. For general camp questions, please email David Gardella at: mendodirector@mssf.org or call (602)-617-0150.  The above e-mail addresses can also be used if you need help with the online reservation process.
 
IMPORTANT NOTES:  We are at our usual location in Camp #1 this year. Anyone who would like to bring a camper or RV instead of utilizing a cabin is welcome to do so.  (Please tell us if you would like to bring a camper or sleep in a vehicle instead of a cabin when you register for camp).  The cabins are rustic but have fireplaces and limited wood is available.  We suggest you bring a couple of presto logs if you plan to make a fire in your cabin, (much less smoke and much easier).  You can also bring fire starters which help greatly in getting fires started.  As we want to limit fire usage in the cabins this year, we encourage all campers to enjoy the group fires with your camping friends in the dining halls and dance hall after dinner and until you return to your cabin at bedtime.  If you would like an alcoholic beverage with your dinners on Friday or Saturday night it will be BYOB.  Also, please note that it is very important that every camper bring a flashlight to safely get back and forth to the cabins after dark.  A complete list of what to bring, and directions to the camp will be sent to registered attendees at the end of October.
 
Additional information about the Mendocino Woodlands Camp can be found at:  www.MendocinoWoodlands.org (FAQS, MAPS & DIRECTIONS).