| Mark joined the MSSF in 1994 and started leading forays around 1999. Mark has been a versatile and long-term volunteer for MSSF throughout the years and has served on the governing council in many capacities. He was president in 2003 and 2004, vice president in 2001 & 2002, and a council member in 2000. Mark has also served on many different committee chair roles: he was speaker chair for a few years and was the fungus fair chair on 4 separate occasions. During his time helping with the fungus fair, Mark advocated for the creation of an edible mushroom display and spent many fair hours educating the public about the wonders and pleasures of eating mushrooms. Mark even helped chair merchandising and t-shirts for MSSF when the duty called for it.
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Mark and his wife Miyuki (whom he met in MSSF) spend many weekends locally, along the north coast, and up in the Sierra’s foraging for many different types of mushrooms. When not foraging for mushrooms, Mark also spends his time kayak fishing in the ocean, bays, and lakes for salmon, lingcod, halibut, rockfish, and trout. |
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 | David Campbell has been collecting, studying, eating, teaching, and writing about wild mushrooms for 50 years. An expert mycophagist (one who safely eats a wide variety of wild mushrooms) and experienced outdoor group leader, he served more than a decade on the Mycological Society of San Francisco Council, including two terms as president. He is also past president of the Mycological Society of Marin County.
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| He remains active with the San Francisco Poison Control Center for mushroom poisoning incident response throughout the Bay Area. With a primary focus on edible and poisonous mushrooms, David has led innumerable fungal forays, taught basic mycology and wild mushroom seminars, and provided educational presentations and adventures for numerous CA mushroom clubs along with the annual Napa Truffle Festival in Napa, CA. Beyond the US, |
| David’s international tour company, Mycoventures, offers gourmet mushroom, truffle, and wine tours to Northern Italy and Croatia. Contact info@mycoventures.com to learn more about their upcoming fungal and food events |
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Brennan Wenck is a Faculty Lecturer in biology at San Francisco State University. In the summer, he teaches a night photography class at the SF State Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Brennan is the Chair of the MSSF Scholarship Committee and is a Past President of MSSF.
For more info about Brennan’s photography: Instagram: @brennanwenck
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Brian Perry is a Professor of Biology at California State University East Bay, and Director of the HAY Fungarium. He received his Master's Degree from San Francisco State University under the guidance of Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University where he studied with Dr. Donald H. Pfister.
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Brian has been studying fungi since 1995, and has published over 45 papers in scientific journals. In addition to studying the evolution of fungal bioluminescence, he also conducts research on mushrooms and other fungi of Vanuatu, the assembly and biogeography of island fungal communities, endophytic fungi, and the systematics of Mycena and allied genera.
Brian teaches several mycology courses at Cal State East Bay and the Sierra Nevada Field Campus. |
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As a child, I used to pick chanterelles and berries in the forest. When I moved to the Bay Area in 1997, I had no idea California had so many different mushrooms. When I joined the Mycological Society, I participated in many forays, fairs, and events and learned so much. I was blown away by all the edibles you can find within a few hours' drive from San Francisco. I got to hunt Salt Point, the Sierras, and the Jackson Demonstration Forest together with the club. After learning how to find chanterelles, yellowfoot, black trumpets, hedgehogs, porcini, princes, lobsters, candy caps, morels, and matsutake, mushroom hunting has become an obsession of mine. I devote one day a week to foraging during the season. I often hunt with my daughters and friends. |
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Jenna Hinshaw is a professional forager born and raised on the Mendocino Coast. She has been picking wild mushrooms for over 30 years. She's also an artist who works in various mediums, including painting mushrooms on dried conks. Jenna recently launched Forage Mendocino, an events and education company emphasizing sustainable, ethical foraging practices. Forage Mendocino's flagship event will be a Mushroom Symposium and Forager's Market December 8th-10th at the Little River Inn. |
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Jenna grew up foraging and exploring the Mendocino Redwoods. A wild child from birth, as a kid, Jenna's mom didn't have to tell her twice to "go outside, it's a beautiful day"; more often than not, she had to holler for Jenna to come back inside. An autodidact, Jenna learns best using a hands-on approach—most of her knowledge, identification skills, and foraging techniques she has earned through firsthand experience. In 2022, Jenna found a blue chanterelle on the Mendocino Coast. It turned out to be the only one ever documented in California and will be added to the California list of fungi! |
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You can check out Foragemendocino.com and Visitmendocino.com for information about Jenna's upcoming events. |
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Instagram: @jennahinshaw
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Inaturalist: @jennahinshaw |
