Mushroom hunters have long known that a quick sniff can tell you almost as much as a careful look. That instinct, often dismissed as quirky, turns out to be a surprisingly powerful tool for fungal identification. This May, the San Diego Mycological Society (SDMYCO) is excited to welcome educator and naturalist Christian Schwarz for a lecture titled Making Scents of Fungi: From Stench to…
Join SDMYCO at Earth Fest 2026 in Balboa Park!
Join the San Diego Mycological Society this Saturday, April 25, for Earth Fest, a community-wide Earth Day celebration in the heart of Balboa Park. From 11am to 5pm, we’ll have a booth set up alongside 100+ vendors gathered to celebrate our planet and the incredible ecosystems we share it with. Stop by to meet SDMYCO members, learn about the fascinating world of fungi in Southern California…
4/18 Marine Fungi: The Ocean’s Hidden Kingdom
On Saturday, April 18th, we have a special pop up Saturday Meeting at the College-Rolando Branch of the San Diego City Library (Community Room), running from 11:45am to 1:15pm. Dr. Syrena Whitner, a postdoctoral researcher in Marine Fungal Ecology at the University of Hawaii, will be presenting “Marine Fungi: The Ocean’s Hidden Kingdom.” This will be a fascinating look at the evolutionary history…
4/6 Functional Mushrooms: The Science Behind the Hype
Join us on Monday, April 6th at Balboa Park (Casa Del Prado, Room 101) for our Monthly Monday Meeting. Steve Farrar, co-founder of Om Mushroom Superfoods and M2 Ingredients and a longtime SDMYCO member, will be giving a talk called “Functional Mushrooms: The Science Behind the Hype.” He will take a critical look at the science backing functional mushroom health claims and the controversies in the…
3/2 Biobanking At-Risk Fungi
Fungi are foundational to our ecosystems, but many species are quietly at risk. What does it mean to bank fungi for the future? Join us for our March Monthly Monday Meeting as Jessica Allen, Lead Mycologist at NatureServe, shares how conservation biobanking is emerging as a critical strategy for protecting rare and threatened fungi. While seed banks and wildlife conservation programs are well…
Announcing 2026 Fungus Fair
We are so excited to share the date for our 2026 Fungus Fair! Please join us for a day of learning and fun on February 1st from 10am to 4pm. You can start you day by perusing the array of goods at our Fungus Fair Market, filled with artisan arts and crafts as well as functional and culinary mushroom delights! Then head down to the Fungus Fair main hall at Casa del Prado, Room 101…
Demystifying Binomial Nomenclature
Join us for our next monthly Monday meeting on January 5th where Rose Tursi will teach us all about the binomial nomenclature we use to identify fungi. Latin is an old esoteric language, which makes it understandably intimidating; yet, it has some pretty standard and straightforward rules. Once those are shown and recognized, it opens a whole new world of understanding to the mycology…
Call for Submissions: Fungus Fair 2026 Art Contest
It’s that time of year again! Come participate in our Visual Arts Contest — rules are linked here. Please submit your artwork to us by January 11, 2026. Excited to see what you come up with, your mush-family Submission form…
12/1 Holiday Potluck and White Elephant Exchange
Join us to celebrate fungi and community at our annual Holiday Potluck and White Elephant Exchange. Participating in the white elephant exchange is optional, but a lot of fun. This event is open to the public; the more the merrier!
We invite you to bring a delicious dish to share. It does not have to include mushrooms, but those are always a hit! You may also bring store bought if you prefer.
We will have a card to fill out in advance for the ingredients list. This is useful for those that may have allergies or dietary restrictions.
***If you are using wild/foraged mushrooms, please note that also!***
We ask that you bring your own reusable cup/bowl/plate and utensils, since we are environmental stewards. Let’s help promote and save the environment by using less plastic!
Please note that we do not have kitchen access, but there will be outlets for keeping food warm with crock pots.
For those that want to participate in the White Elephant Gift Exchange, please bring a present for the exchange. Mushroom themed items are always coveted and unique packaging can make the exchange even more fun.
Gift items are suggested at $25.
We can’t wait to see you there!
December 1, 2025
Casa del Prado Room 101
6:30 – 8:30pm
Open to the public
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Call for 2026 Elections!
Our 2025-2026 season is fast approaching! We have so many amazing members with incredible talents, and we would love to get you all more involved! There are opportunities across the organization that fit a wide range of skills and interests. Everything from our core officer roles, to a wide variety of committee chairs and members, or even ad hoc help at events. If you are interested in getting involved, please fill out the elections form here.
Elections Process Update
This year, we will be piloting a new Elections format. In the past, we have typically done elections in person during our November public meeting. This suited us at the time, when we had a smaller group, and most of the attendees were members. However, our little group has grown quite a bit, and there are a lot of non-members who show up at the public meetings.
We will be trying an online election process this year. We will send out a link to the election form via email. If you are having trouble with the form, we will also have an email option to submit your ballot.
We look forward to seeing your submission!
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