Ever wonder about all those mushrooms you've seen in the grasslands and forests at Point Reyes National Seashore? The Fungus Fair is a perfect opportunity to see them up close and learn more about them.
Since 2005, fungi have been gathered by volunteers who collect, identify, and catalog mushrooms for an ongoing study at the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Fungi Collecting Foray
Saturday, January 11, 2025
10 am to 3 pm
10 am: Park visitors and the mushroom curious are invited to gather at 10 am on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Please arrive well before 10 am so that you are in attendance for when coordinators provide instructions on how to collect fungi for Sunday's Fungus Fair. Bring bags or baskets and ways to keep collections separate (wax-paper works best). A pocket knife or trowel can help you to get entire mushrooms. Please document your collections, by noting habitat and location. Collecting labels will be provided. We cannot promise guided forays, and this is NOT about collecting edibles. In fact, we'd like to see any mushrooms, edible or not, donated for displays in our Fair. Please leave pets at home.
1 pm to 3 pm: Bring your mushrooms to the Red Barn. We will ID your finds, and select the most beautiful and interesting and unusual examples for our Fair the next day.
Experienced collectors are welcome to go out on their own at any time—just be sure and bring your collections to the Red Barn before 3 pm.
Fungus Fair
Sunday, January 12, 2025
10 am to 4 pm
During the 18th Annual Fungus Fair on Sunday, January 12, 2025, wild mushrooms collected in the park will be on display on the south porch of the Bear Valley Visitor Center with several mushroom-related exhibits inside the visitor center. We will also have presentations in the auditorium throughout the day. Roving Mushroom Ambassadors will be available to answer your questions, both indoors and out. Bring mushrooms you've found and are curious about. This is a free event, open to all.
Presentations
The Schedule of Speakers for the 18th Annual Fungus Fair has yet to be finalized, but the following talks were given during the 17th Annual Fungus Fair:
11 am "Underground Fungal Connections" by David Rust
12:30 pm "Amanitarita's Freaky and Fabulous Fungi" by Debbie Viess
2 pm "Pyrophilous pioneers: how fungi survive and thrive after fire" by Monika Fischer
Parking
To help reduce traffic congestion in the paved parking lot adjacent to the Bear Valley Visitor Center, please park your vehicle(s) in the gravel, trailhead/picnic area parking lot on the left (east) side of the access road close to the Bear Valley Trailhead. Parking is free.
