May Speaker
Mike McCurdy  Do you love learning about mushrooms but think 'Cortinarius' is too hard? It doesn't have to be that way! Shannon will help you recognize distinctive features of Cortinarius and how to differentiate them from common 'lookalikes'. She will take you on a rich visual tour to appreciate species diversity. During the talk you will get to know some of our Cortinarius 'celebrities' and have new resources for ID when you find these diverse and beautiful species.
Shannon Adams is a User Researcher in the tech industry who has a passion for the genus Cortinarius. When she emigrated from Australia 20+ years ago she was struck by the diversity and beauty of Cortinarius species she saw in the Washington Cascades, and started trying (and failing) to identify them. For the past 6 years she has been collecting and documenting Cortinarius species and has over 1,200 collections in her personal herbarium. In 2021 she led publication of a new Cortinarius species - Cortinarius rufosanguineus. Shannon is here to spread her love of the Cortinariaceae and to give you resources to help you get to know the species in your region.
President's Message
Natalie Wren Friends,
Spring has been glorious so far! The wildflowers are visible from space again and the epic snow pack is starting to melt. Chanterelles seem to be winding down and it’s been a few weeks since anyone has mentioned finding velosas. More recently, I’ve been hearing reports of natural morels in lower elevations associated with madrone. And, a friend shared a photo of naturals growing in a sand dune along the coast and reported that the nearest tree was a eucalyptus. Who knew morels like the beach and eucs? Not me, that’s for sure! Pretty soon, we’ll all be chasing fire morels and spring kings. Here’s hoping this summer is like last summer and we end up with another 12 month mushrooming season : ).
Even though this is the last month for meetings and newsletters until the fall, we at MSSF are hard at work preparing for the start of the next season. We are making plans to resume in person meetings in September at the Randall Museum in San Francisco and we will be busy over the summer planning the next Fungus Fair.
We are always seeking new volunteers (in varied roles). You don’t have to be a mushroom expert or be a long time member to participate with various volunteer committees. We welcome you and your enthusiasm/willingness to help support the Mycological Society of San Francisco. We would love to help you to find a spot on our amazing team of volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering email me at president@mssf.org and we can chat more about committee positions and other volunteer opportunities.
We are still hoping to organize at least one morel excursion this year. It might be a very last minute, short notice day trip or maybe a weekend campout for a night or two. Details will be worked out once we see what happens with the recent warm weather and the snow melt. If we are not able to organize a group event, please remember that you can meet other members and make new friends (and sometimes hear about informal foray opportunities) by joining our discussion list at https://groups.io/g/MSSF-Talk This is a moderated group and we require the discussion stay friendly and on topic: fungi/mushroom related posts only.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy summer full of morels!
Natalie
Culinary Corner
The Royal Stinkhorn
By Hanna Docampo Pham
Your first impression of stinkhorns might be their smell, which is strong enough to lure carrion flies with an odor. In the flies’ eyes, they think they’re smelling rotten flesh. Some people even say it’s the smell of stinkhorns that makes them easier to find in the forest. While this mushroom does stick true to its name, it’s specifically the cap of the mushroom that smells, not the stalk and lacy veil of the mushroom that is usually harvested. In southern Asia, stinkhorns are endearingly known as “bamboo stalks” as they grow among bamboo forests.
Stinkhorns are especially popular in China, the first place they have been cultivated, where they are prized as the “queen of the forest”. They are described as “fairies with a snow skirt” as for a fleeting few hours, a stinkhorn goes from being a bulb in the ground to a fully grown mushroom with a delicate, flowery veil, when these mushrooms can be harvested before they begin to rapidly decompose.
In June of 2009, the One Planet Earth by the BBC filmed and broadcast
the time lapse of a stinkhorn mushroom sprouting
Chen Jialong manages a stinkhorn farm in China, where he inoculates areas of the ground in a local bamboo forest with stinkhorn mycelium. These areas are watered throughout the year, and by the summer and autumn, hundreds of pounds of stinkhorn are harvested! Stinkhorns have been eaten in China for centuries, and while they were once very expensive and treated as a delicacy reserved for the royalty, thanks to new commercial mushroom farms in China these mushrooms are much more affordable and accessible throughout the world.
In some European countries, stinkhorns are called witch’s eggs, for their strange appearance can only be explained by witches. These stinkhorns are picked when they are brown or white “eggs” half-hidden in duff, split in half, and the white core of the mushroom is extracted: a crunchy, radish-like delicacy, which would grow into the stalk of the stinkhorn. While the stalk of stinkhorn has an earthy, hearty flavor, when the same part of this mushroom is harvested before it matures, it has a milder flavor and a texture similar to a water chestnut. In Germany, France, and other nearby countries, premature stinkhorns are sold as an ingredient fresh, canned, and pickled.
At the latest MSSF meeting, Wendy So, MSSF member and curious forager, foodie, and world traveler, spoke about her experience with stinkhorns. She found 4 different types of stinkhorns in Hawaii and made them into a soup with wild tree ferns and meat. She cut off the top and jelly-like bottom of the stinkhorn, using the stalk and the veil for the soup. She fried chopped chicken, goji berries, and dried shrimp until fragrant, then added the stinkhorn, a type of edible tree fern, and water, letting the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. She then added some whisked eggs to the soup just before it was ready, then added salt to taste, creating a delicious egg drop stinkhorn soup. Wendy said this recipe can easily be recreated using rehydrated store bought stinkhorn, which are fairly common at Chinese markets.
I bought stinkhorn mushrooms from Pacific Super! It was $20 for one pack of about 250 grams of dried stinkhorn. While today stinkhorn is still considered expensive, in the 1900s it is believed that in Asia to buy a pound of dried stinkhorn would cost about $300.
Wendy explained that what makes stinkhorns such a good addition to soups is that the many crevices in the mushroom will capture all the different flavors of the things you are cooking, similar to when cooking morels. While it’s not plainly visible, if you rehydrate dried stinkhorn, you’ll see that not only are there holes in the veil of the mushroom, but there are many holes in the stalk of the mushroom, giving it a spongy texture when in water or broth. For this month’s recipe, I cooked a soup inspired by Wendy’s stinkhorn soup.
Stinkhorn Egg Drop Soup
By Hanna Docampo Pham
Ingredients:
- 75 grams stinkhorn mushrooms (also known as bamboo mushrooms)
- 10 ½ cups chicken, pork, or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken, vegetable, or mushroom bouillon
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- Water
- 2 eggs
- Optional: 10 grams dried scallops, shredded
- For serving: black pepper & red vinegar
In a large bowl, soak the stinkhorn mushrooms in boiling water. Let the stinkhorn mushrooms soak for about 30 minutes, or until they are soft. Wash the stinkhorn mushrooms and cut off the hard tips at the bottom and top of the mushrooms with scissors.
Left: rehydrating the stinkhorn mushrooms
Right: cleaned and divided stinkhorn mushrooms
Bring the stock to a boil and add the salt and bouillon powder. Stir the soup so the bouillon powder is fully combined, then add the stinkhorn mushrooms. If you’re using scallops, add them to the soup. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
Before and after adding the egg to the soup
Mix the starch with 5 tablespoons of water, and slowly pour it into the soup while stirring. If you want a thicker soup, add more of the starch slurry to the soup. Let the soup simmer for one minute, then lower the heat and slowly pour in the whisked eggs.
Turn the heat off, stir the soup and add salt to taste. To serve the soup, ladle it into bowls. Sprinkle some pepper over the soup and serve with red vinegar. Enjoy!
Culinary Group
The MSSF Culinary Group is a participatory cooking group open to all MSSF members who are interested in the gastronomical aspects of mushrooming.
Gatherings are generally held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the San Francisco County Fair Building, "Hall of Flowers" in Golden Gate Park; - at 9th and Lincoln. Members of MSSF and the Culinary Group, and their guests, are invited to attend.
Any MSSF member may register to attend a Culinary Group dinner in the "Members Only" area of the Society's website, www.mssf.org.
(Covid protocol: please do not register or attend if you are not fully vaccinated for Covid 19, or if you are feeling unwell or experiencing any Covid or cold symptom).
Wild Mushroom Exposures and the California Poison Control
By Kathryn Meier, PharmD DABAT FAACT. Senior Toxicology Specialist, California Poison Control System
Case 1: 12:30 pm in early spring. The director of a day care center calls the Poison Control Center. While the children were in the playground, a teacher saw a 3-year-old female eating something and found a half-eaten wild mushroom in her hand. The teacher took the mushroom away, wiped the child’s mouth out and brought her to the office. The child appears unaffected 10 minutes later. It appeared that several mushrooms had sprouted overnight in a tan bark area under an oak tree. What should the day care center staff do?
Case 2. 6:00 pm mid fall. Last call of the shift, it is a health care facility, hoping for a simple question. The nurse reports that a 19-year-old male was brought to the Emergency Department with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The standard gastroenteritis evaluation was initiated. Now the patient reveals that this morning he shared ‘magic mushrooms’ for the first time with his buddies and there was not any “magic”, so they all went home. One of the patient’s buddies texted that he is sick too. Could this gastroenteritis be mushroom poisoning?
Case 1: The first case is very representative of most mushroom ingestion inquiries to the California Poison Control System (CPCS) where a range of 700- 900 pediatric mushroom ingestions are reported in California each year.
Calls are answered by call center staff who are highly trained health care professionals that undergo two years of post-graduate training at the poison center to provide the best possible medical advice. This service is available for free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 1-800-222-1222. CPCS staff answer around 700 calls per day on a wide variety of exposures, about half of those are from the public, leaving the remainder from health care professionals. In the event of an unusual or severe exposure, board certified toxicologists and allied experts are available for backup. The CPCS is a discrete clinical unit within the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy, accredited by the Americas Poison centers, and regulated by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority. Funding primarily comes from State and Federal sources along with in kind University contributions.
Typically, with pediatric exposures, the amount ingested is small, and the mushroom was growing in the family yard or lawn. Regional differences exist throughout California in the prevalence of toxic mushrooms - an important consideration when deciding on a course of action. As a result, CPCS partnered with expert mycologists, medical toxicologists and CPCS staff to develop a clinical decision tree to assess the risk of the most toxic mushroom ingestions. Namely, the mushrooms containing cyclopeptides (amatoxins) and mono-methyl-hydrazine. This decision tree allows for early hospital intervention for the best patient outcome. Case 1 mushroom assessment did not trigger the need for hospital intervention and the patient developed no symptoms.
Case 2: This case occurred in 2016 during a very large Amanita phalloides bloom in Northern California. An untrained mushroom forager came upon what he believed to be ‘magic’ mushrooms and dried the caps for later consumption. He shared the mushroom with four friends, but after the expected experience did not happen, the group disbanded. This Case 2 patient developed gastroenteritis after about 7 hours. All four friends were contacted and evaluated in hospital. They all developed delayed gastroenteritis and moderate liver dysfunction suggesting that the mushrooms were amatoxin containing mushrooms. The material evidence was eaten and thus was not available for analysis. Often when material evidence is not available for confirmation, diagnosis may be based on a matching ‘toxidrome’ (constellation of symptoms that is consistent with poisoning). All four patients survived and were included in a publication involving other amanita poisonings that year.
These 2 cases illustrate a few of the scenarios that the poison center is consulted. The public is always welcome to call the Poison Control Center when they are unsure if they have toxic exposure. The expert CPCS staff can help assess the situation and help devise a plan of action or provide reassurance if it is not expected to be toxic.
Am I poisoned? Who can I call? Poison control 1-800-222-1222
References:
California Poison Control System, website https://calpoison.org/
Americas Poison Centers website https://www.aapcc.org/
St. George, Z, Masters of Poison, UCSF Magazine, June 17 2019, Vol 8 (1): p 15 – 21
https://medium.com/ucsf-magazine/masters-of-poison-faeb4f072bf3
Vo KT, et al. Amanita phalloides Mushroom Poisonings — Northern California, December 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66:549–553. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6621a1.htm
Paul Koski Remembered
 Paul Koski was a kind, giving, and intelligent man with many talents and hobbies.
He ran track in high school and later coached track and field where he mentored many young boys and influenced his peers.
Paul was a member of the San Francisco Beekeeper's Association for many years. He gave countless workshops, talks, and lectured and influenced many a beekeeper. He additionally helped many a homeowner deal with beehives that were moving into their homes.
Paul was also a member of MSSF for many decades and made many contributions to the group. Paul created a pamphlet for MSSF which gave a quick introduction to the group's purpose of educating the public about fungi and had a section where you could learn more about the society and then fill out a form to become a member. Paul created a diagram of a mushroom which he used to teach beginners about mushrooms.
Paul also co-chaired a couple of very successful fungus fairs with Tom Chester. Putting together a fungus fair is no easy task. Many hours were spent working on the fairs. I joined MSSF shortly before these fairs and I was drawn to the beginner's group and helped at the beginner's table along with Paul for many years.
Paul led beginner and quick start forays for decades. I signed up to go on one of Paul's forays. Paul was easy to approach. He was kind, patient and very knowledgeable. I ended up going on many of these forays, which took us to Golden Gate Park, the Oakland hills and all the way to Mendocino County. As Paul's forays became more popular, I ended up assisting Paul. He would say, "we will split the group in two and then we'll meet back here at the car."
Paul was a kind soul, who was an inspiration to many. He will be missed.
Thank you, Paul, for all you did.
Enrique Sanchez
 Paul Koski, 1945 - 2023
Obituary at Legacy.com
You can leave comments at the Legacy website.
Before retiring in 2008, Paul taught science in the SF Unified School District for 40 years. For most people, daily interaction with high school kids would be enough time spent teaching people, but not for Paul. He was a tireless educator about mushrooms and bees.
Sometimes what seems like a small thing, a quick-start urban fungal foray where Paul patiently explained things and answered questions from noobies can have unexpected repercussions - the current MSSF president and vice-president met on one of Paul's urban quick-start fungal forays. A little time tramping through MacClaren park with the ever-patient, soft-spoken Paul, led to a friendship between Natalie and Sarah… and look where that led...
As a disabled person who can't get out in the woods anymore, having a chance to do easier, urban explorations means a lot to me. I am grateful that MSSF has these gentler, family-friendly and differently-able, outings which were Paul's specialty.
Paul came from a family of 7 children and grew up in San Bruno. At his memorial service, I spoke with two of his siblings. One of his brothers shared a story: that when they were parents of young children, the families went on camping trips to Yosemite for a big, fun adventure with the adult/siblings enjoying their time together, and a flock of children/cousins running around in the outdoors. Paul would forage for mushrooms and make a cauldron of soup for the whole gang.
~ Stephanie Wright
[Excerpt from Sept 14, 2014, Mike Kepka
Beekeepers sweeten harvest with lesson at Glide Memorial Church ]
One of Paul's bee-keeping projects that you might not know about, was on the rooftop of Glide Memorial Church.  With morning services in full swing seven floors below, two beekeepers prepare a pair of hives and 70,000 bees for the annual honey harvest on the roof of Glide Memorial Church.
The men expect at least 60 pounds of honey from this season's harvest of honey from the two hives.
All will be bottled and sold to congregants who share coffee and snacks during social hour after church services
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Photo credit: Nathaniel Y. Downes
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‘Photos of the Sunset District’:
Sunset District Beekeepers
By Sunset Beacon on April 2, 2022
Photos by Jeremy Word
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What's happening as spring turns into summer...
Stephanie Wright 
May 1, 2023
"Springtime In The Forest" (Culinary Group dinner; 6pm-9pm)
[Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license]
May 16, 2023
MSSF General Meeting - Shannon Adams: Cortinarius 101
June 4 -9, 2023
BIO 315: Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada
San Francisco State University, Sierra Nevada Field Campus
A survey of the spring fungus of the Northern Sierra Nevada with an emphasis on fleshy fungi. Other kinds of fungi and fungus-like organisms including lichens, wood-rotting fungi and slime molds also may be examined.
 July 16, 2023 - Mark your calendar.
MSSF Member Summer Picnic 2023, (Sunday, July 16)
In June, MSSF members will receive an invitation by email with all the details.
We need a few people to help out at this event.
Please contact Natalie Wren to offer your assistance..
[Photo from 2022 Summer Picnic]
July 30 - Aug 6, 2023
NAMA Regional Foray in Mexico
August 16 - 20, 2023
Telluride Mushroom Festival
August 24 - 27, 2023 NAMA Annual Foray - Appalachia
MSSF Officers & Council members - Annual Election
Stephanie Wright The Mycological Society of San Francisco
is an all-volunteer organization...
Approximately 15% of our members contributed in one way or another to the success of the Fungus Fair this past January. It was a great beginning to in-person events for the club after the hiatus due to public health concerns and restrictions. Can we keep up the momentum?
There was enthusiastic turn-out by the public to attend, and wonderful contribution by members. On the other hand, the Fungus Fair isn't the only thing MSSF does - about 2% of MSSF members (fewer than 2 dozen people) are doing 95+% of the other tasks and planning that are needed for a vibrant and active club – if you want more activities, we need you to step up to help make it happen.
On a basic level, as a 501c3 non-profit, we have a set of bylaws, and a governing council. Each year, the council is constituted following the annual election that is held to choose officers and councilors-at-large.
Additionally, we have a number of Committees
- chairs of committees have a vote at council meetings
- some committees are on-going and permanent
- others are temporary for a particular task
- a committee may have a particular task, such as the Fungus Fair committee
- or a more global function, such as Education and Outreach
- research and evaluation of options, acting in an advisory position, and making recommendations to the Council, is the function of other committees
- all the committees together create a whole that fulfills the mission of MSSF to educate MSSF members and the public about fungi - and to have fun along the way working cooperatively together
Committees are not elected - people with time, energy and skills, are encouraged to assist with the various committees according to their interests. After participating on a committee, a person might become a co-chair of that body, or be appointed as chair of the committee when the current appointee steps down or changes focus and moves on to other responsibilities within the club.
MSSF Officers serve 1-year terms running from July 1 – Jun 30.
There are 4 Councilor-at-Large seats with 2-year terms.
Each year, the term of office ends for two of those at-large seats.
The slate this year - for the July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 term:
- President Natalie Wren
- Vice-president Sarah Ruhs
- Secretary Colleen Sudekum
- Treasurer Pascal Pelous
Councilor-at-Large, for the term July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025
- Seat #1 Tyler Taunton
- Seat #2 Raysheina de Leon
The MSSF bylaws define how elections are to be conducted.
Excerpts from the bylaws:
Article V – Elections and Term of Office
Section 5 The recommendations of the nominating committee shall be reported to the Council for approval by the Council at its April meeting. The nominations as approved or changed by the Council will be presented to the membership at the April meeting of the Society...
… shall be mailed to the members of the Society not less than ten days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Society
Section 6. The election of Officers and Councilors shall take place at the Annual Meeting of the Society, provided a quorum is present. Election shall be by a majority of the members present and voting.
Article VII – Meetings of Members of the Society and Quorum
Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held on the third Tuesday of May at 8:00 p.m. at the place of the regular meetings of the Society...
Section 2. A quorum shall consist of seven percent of the total regular members of the Society...
Section 7. If a quorum is not present at the Annual Meeting
of the Society, the election will be conducted as follows:
(a) If the election for any office is uncontested, the person nominated by the Council for that office shall be declared elected.
The steps have been followed:
- the nominating committee made their recommendations to the Council at the April Council Meeting
- the Council approved the nominating committee's recommendation
- the club President announced the slate at the April General Meeting
- this newsletter constitutes written notification to members 10 [or more] days before the Annual Meeting which is concurrent with the General Meeting and held on the third Tuesday - May 16, 2023.
Article VII, Section 2 says that a quorum is 7% of total, regular members of the society.
As of May 1, 2023, 75 MSSF members would constitute a quorum.
- it seem unlikely that 75 members, whose dues have been paid, will be at the Zoom meeting on May 16
- the General Meetings are open to the public - it is problematic to try to figure out a way to conduct a vote on a Zoom meeting that would include members for voting, while excluding non-members
- and get that process accomplished in the 15-minutes available before the scheduled program for the evening commences
- the bylaws state that if a seat is uncontested, the person nominated by Council for that seat is declared elected
- as of May 1, all positions are uncontested - therefore the council will declare candidates elected
The Council plans to evaluate the Nominating Committee's recommendation to use our membership management system's Election Module to conduct elections [online] in the future. It would allow greater participation by members who aren't able to attend an in-person meeting, and can make the questions about quorums and membership status moot.
At most meetings and in many of the newsletters in the past year, those of us who serve as officers, council members or chairs of committees have encouraged members to attend (Zoom) Council meetings, or to join a committee or volunteer for a project. We did get wonderful participation for the Fungus Fair, let's rally for other events and projects.
In reaching out to members following the Fungus Fair about joining the council, the nominating committee's experience in 2023, was that response was tepid for the most part, and lacking altogether in quite a few cases (communication is key, if we reached out via email and phone and didn't get a response, that is presumed to be a negative answer).
With the lack of in-person meetings, it's been difficult to get to know newer members, but please know that we do want to meet and get to know you and hope that some of you will want to join the Council in the future, or join a Committee right now.
~ Stephanie Wright, <Communication@mssf.org>
Please ask questions when we interact at in-person events.
510-388-5009 - you can phone me.
In fact, a phone call works better than email these days since for me, as is the case for many people, the last few years have seen an increase in email volume to the point where it is seriously hampering actual communication.
As you can see, it's not all work of course:
Current MSSF President, Natalie Wren, and Vice President, Sarah Ruhs
Having fun at last year's summer picnic.
MSSF Contact Information
May 1 - California's Snowpack Remains Huge
Stephanie Wright
Mushroom enthusiasts are subject to nature's whims.
Everybody is ready to get out there after the wet winter. Last years' big wild fires give rise to hopes for the morel season to follow... But things may get started late this year...
California’s snowpack remains huge. Mario Tama/Getty Images
Snow covers a roadway in the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes.
"Although it’s well into spring, the snowpack in California’s mountains remains huge, measuring 254% of average in the state’s May 1 snow survey on Monday." SF Chronicle
UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, located at Donner Pass, has a consistent record of precipitation, snowfall, snow depth, and air temperature for the periods of 1946-1952 and 1957-present.
Mushroom hunting has great rewards, and potential hazards...
Stephanie Wright The most deadly animal...
Mosquito season has arrived…
What does that have to do with fungi?
Mosquitos are vectors for many pathogens. Viral (denge, zika, west nile), bacterial (tularemia), and parasitic (malaria) diseases in humans can resul t from mosquito bites. While mosquitos may not kill people directly, indirectly they kill more humans than any other animal – combined, mosquito-transmitted diseases kill 2.7 million people every year, the majority in Africa.
How do fungi play into this story?
Scientists Genetically Modify Fungus To Kill Mosquitoes That Spread Malaria
NPR, Goats and Soda, May 30, 2019 [Full Story: 3-minute listen]
“In the hope of finding a new way to fight malaria, scientists have used a spider gene to genetically engineer a fungus to produce a venom that can quickly kill mosquitoes.”
- But there are questions about the safety and unintended environmental consequences.
- Ethical issues arise about conducting experiments that potentially can have far-reaching effects in places where transparency and safety regulations may be absent or weak.
"Anopheline mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite, but the insects themselves are prone to their own infections. Lovett et al. engineered a specific fungal pathogen of anophelines to carry insect-selective toxins. The effectiveness of this fungus for controlling mosquitoes was trialed in near-field conditions in Burkina Faso in a setup called MosquitoSphere. Approximately 75% of wild insecticide-resistant mosquitoes released into the environment became infected with the transgenic fungus, causing population collapse within 45 days."
So, the genetically modified fungus might kill mosquitos and reduce human misery and death... but technological fixes often turn into Pandora's box...
On the other hand...
Fungal infections in mosquitos can also lead to more transmission of Plasmodium [the parasite that causes malaria] because the mosquitos are more suscepible to becoming infected with the parasite.
Fungus Makes Mosquitoes Much More Likely To Become Infected With Malaria [Full Story]
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have identified a fungus that compromises the immune system of mosquitoes, making them more susceptible to infection with the parasite that causes malaria.
“Mosquitoes, like humans, are continuously exposed to a variety of microbes in their environment, and these bacteria and fungi can influence the health of mosquitoes in many ways. Malaria researchers have in the past identified microbes that block the Anopheles mosquito from being infected by the parasite that causes malaria, but this is the first time they have found a microorganism that instead appears to make the mosquito more likely to become infected with – and then spread – malaria. The findings are published Sept. 28 in the journal Scientific Reports.”
“Dimopoulos and his team isolated the Penicillium chrysogenum fungus – a member of the same family of fungi that gives us the antibiotic penicillin – from the gut of field-caught Anopheles mosquitoes. They determined that its presence made the mosquitoes much more susceptible to being infected by the parasite that causes malaria. The fungus, they found, was compromising the immune system of the mosquitoes, allowing the malaria parasite to more easily infect them.”
I am stating the obvious, but some people's
enthusiasm exceeds their common sense...
- Take care when you are out in the woods.
- If you are inexperienced, it's not a bad idea to find more experienced companions to hike with, or to go on a foray with an experienced, vetted guide.
- Hiking off-trail at high elevations requires a decent level of fitness.
- MSSF basic guide to collecting
- Ticks and mosquitos can give a microbial gift that can have long-lasting effects.
- Have a first aid kit, and know the basics
- I fell one year on our morel foray resulting in gash on my shin that required sutures - fortunately outstanding first-aid was available from another camper.
- My injury was minor, I drove myself back to Oakland without any problem, but more serious injuries can happen, especially if you are tired and hiking on steep, muddy hillsides.
- Stay hydrated
- Sunscreen...
- Navigation - know where you are going - cell phones often don't work where the adventurous mushroom hunter ventures...
- Paper maps are still very useful.
- GPS devices are helpful.
- For safety - have a whistle.
- Walkie-talkies aren't a bad idea.
- Orienteering is a skill.
- Burn zones have unseen dangers - dead trees with underground burned-out root zones create holes that are invisible until you take a step and a cavern suddenly develops underfoot.
- Don't bring your dog to places where dogs aren't allowed.
- Don't drive your vehicle in places where it is not designed to go (high clearance requirements or need for chains/all-wheel drive are real things where mushroom hunters go).
- Have enough fuel.
- It can be easy to get stuck in mud, and hard to get out.
- Don't drive off-road.
- Don't collect where it is forbidden.
- If a permit is required, get that permit.
- Please don't collect more than is allowed by your permit.
- Don't go onto posted private property without permission.
- Weather - high elevations can have extremes over very short time periods, be prepared!
Some years back, in June, I attended the Mushrooms of the Sierra Nevada class at the SF State Field Campus located in the Tahoe National Forest. The temperature range over several days was from well below freezing, to over 100°F.
The class was a great experience!
Here's what I woke up to on the day after arrival...
 Photo credit: Stephanie Wright, June 12, 2017. SF State Sierra Nevada Field Campus
And last, but not least, be kind to the natural world.
Don't damage the forest. Follow the picking rules.
Fungi are an abundant resource we can all enjoy if care is taken.
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