Upcoming events
Rhode Island Natural History Survey GALA
Celebrate Mycology and the Legacy of Dr. Walter Snell
this year’s recipient of the RINHS Posthumous Distinguished Naturalist Award.
Bee There or Bee Square! Come one, come all!
You are invited to:
To the Rhode Island Natural History Survey's
~ 30th Anniversary Gala & Awards ~
Saturday evening, November 16,
from 5:30pm - 9:00pm
All you need to know is in the flyer below, so if you are ready to reserve your seat, click on the link and get it done! Or scroll down for more details.
Attendance at this celebration is PAY WHAT YOU CAN! That means YOU decide what you can afford to contribute. We don't want there to be any barriers for folks to join in this celebration!
What is that? You say you don't drive at night? Let me know and we'll do our best to find you a ride! There will be Survey members and friends attending from ALL OVER RI, and beyond!
As always, pipe up by email (kstillwell@rinhs.org) or phone (401-874-5800) with questions.
Wear ball gowns or flannel- or whatever you feel comfortable in, and enjoy a night dedicated to natural history, conservation, and the beauty of Rhode Island’s natural world.
We’re thrilled to honor the late Dr. Walter Snell, this year’s recipient of the RINHS Posthumous Distinguished Naturalist Award. A beloved Brown University professor, Dr. Snell’s work—alongside his longtime collaborator Esther Dick—deepened our understanding of fungi in the Northeast. Their research and illustrations continue to inspire.
Bring your love of nature, meet like-minded people, and celebrate a legacy that connects us all to the land.
Have a Good TRIP with Eugenia Bone
Join Eugenia Bone and Rhode Island Mycological Society Members for this Special Event celebrating the release of, HAVE A GOOD TRIP: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience at Symposium Bookstore! More Details about this magical evening to come!
Eugenia Bone
is a food and nature writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, and the BBC Science Focus. A former president of the NY Mycological Society and the author of Mycophilia, she appeared as an expert in the documentary Fantastic Fungi and has deep ties throughout the mushroom community. Bone is also an award-nominated cookbook author and chef. She lives in New York City.
Praise for HAVE A GOOD TRIP :
“Bone serves up an eye-opening examination of the science and benefits of
psilocybin mushrooms . . . The elegant blend of scientific research, stories of
individual mushroom users, and Bone’s own experiences with the drug make for
a study that’s as eclectic as it is stimulating. This will expand readers’ minds.”
Publishers Weekly
“Beautifully composed, Eugenia Bone’s book is a trip in itself.”
—Suzanne Simard, PhD, forest ecologist and author of Finding the Mother
Tree
“Eugenia Bone does it again! She takes the reader on a deep dive into the rapidly
emerging practice of psilocybin use with a balanced view toward benefits,
potential pitfalls, and ever-expanding applications. I unabashedly recommend this
book for all those contemplating or currently engaged with psilocybin
mushrooms.”—Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running
“Finally a book that offers more answers than questions about the contemporary relationship between humans and
ancient sacred mushrooms. Whether you’re an experienced traveler or new to the journey, Eugenia takes us on a
fun and fantastic much-needed trip.”—Giuliana Furci, founding director of the Fungi Foundation
“Eugenia Bone provides excellent and sage insights on every step of the psychedelic journey, from sourcing
mushrooms through to dosing and even integrating the experiences afterward, all illustrated with some excellent
trippers’ tales. Everyone from seasoned freaks to the newly psy-curious will find something of interest here.”
—Andy Letcher, PhD, author of Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom and senior lecturer
at the University of Exeter
“As someone who has had an uncountable number of glorious trips and also has lost their damn mind, I’ve been waiting for a more balanced articulation of this psychedelic renaissance. With Have a Good Trip’s focus on accuracy over hype or hysteria, we might not only avoid a trip to the psych ward but even make the most out of our experiences.”
—Shane Mauss, comedian and host of the Here We Are podcast
In HAVE A GOOD TRIP: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience, which goes on sale October 22nd, 2024,
from Flatiron Books, popular science writer and amateur mycologist, Eugenia Bone, reports on the state of
psychedelics today, from microdosing to heroic trips, while deftly illustrating how “citizen science” and anecdotal
accounts of the mushrooms’ benefits are leading the new wave of scientific inquiry into psilocybin. Simply put, it is
not a how-to guide, but rather a highly informative and entertaining resource for the mushroom-curious, answering
all the questions people are asking about the storied drug.
Interest in psychedelic mushrooms has never been greater. Celebrities and athletes from Mike Tyson to Prince
Harry have touted the powerful healing potential of using psilocybin or “magic mushrooms,” which have helped
them overcome depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, and grief. And books like Michael Pollan's #1 New York
Times bestseller and its subsequent Netflix docu-series of the same name How to Change Your Mind have only
increased cultural curiosity and mainstream interest in magic mushrooms that continues to extrapolate each year. But
while interest in psychedelic mushrooms has never been greater, never has the science been less definitive.
Which is where Bone comes in. With her signature blend of first-person narrative and scientific rigor, here, the
journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Food & Wine, and who was a key
talking head in the documentary Fantastic Fungi (the trailer alone has 2M views), examines the science of psilocybin
mushrooms, while breaking down just how the complicated cocktail of psychoactive compounds is thought to interact
with our brain chemistry. She explains how mindset and setting can impact a trip and vividly evokes the personalities
and protocols that populate the tripping scene, from the renegade “’Noccers” of Washington who merrily disperse
magic mushroom spores around Seattle, to the indigenous curanderas who conduct traditional ceremonies in remote
Mexican villages, to the stay-at-home dads in Brooklyn, growing shrooms in their apartment as a side-hustle. For both
seasoned trippers and the merely mushroom curious, HAVE A GOOD TRIP offers a balanced, entertaining, and
provocative look at this rapidly evolving cultural phenomenon.
As Publishers Weekly says of the book in a rave review: “Bone serves up an eye-opening examination of the
science and benefits of psilocybin mushrooms . . . The elegant blend of scientific research, stories of
individual mushroom users, and Bone’s own experiences with the drug make for a study that’s as eclectic
as it is stimulating. This will expand readers’ minds.”
AUTUMN STROLL
November 11th 10-11:30 Autumn Stroll at Goldsmith St. entrance to the Woonasquatucket Greenway. Enjoy a family-friendly stroll along the bike path while learning about the trees, fungi, and animals you may find. Wheelchair accessible. Register here: https://forms.gle/XxPFk5aQLJPwk4vw8
MUSHROOM FESTIVAL
At this FREE family-friendly event, there will be guided walks, talks, mushroom growing demos, an identification table, arts and crafts, live music, a food truck, a vendor village, and MUSH more!
FALL in love with fungi!
All walks and workshops require reservations, as space is limited!
REGISTRATIONS:
🪡Poke-It! Felting Workshop:
http://pokeitfelting.com/shop/ols/products
🪣Oyster Bucket Workshop:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rHBiTOdGP49aHdofNpo3Eqyv8x9PdqlSSSWlcb5rG-0/edit?ts=6720e318
🍄Guided Mushroom Walk with Josh:
🍄Guided Mushroom Walk with Adam:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Cw2T85qtsIquHe3AAJa0V3ewTu6gqTZXqCWIj2blv4k/edit?ts=6720ee95
🍄Guided Mushroom Walk with Ryan:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XVSgd_0gv-eFFB2XCBimo_WdJAvnT3z5uqwQMyCfJqg/edit?ts=6720e7f2
🌿Plant Walk with Emily:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1O-MaFESjTdUnuWaEV5j_KAdqilU3K8unZyQWhA5VOEE/edit?ts=6720f088
🦉Wildlife Habitat Walk with Jenna:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yaxY9dMQDQyFtPNG91LArgCcngzBLzxU0dqZ59eK4SU/edit?ts=6720e70f
Joint Club Walk with Boston Mycological Club!
What is better than one mushroom club? How about TWO mushroom clubs?!!!
Join the Rhode Island Mycological Society (RImycoS) and Boston Mycological Club (BMC) for a joint club walk! Together we will explore a forest in Mattapoisett, MA that has both upland and wetland habitats, which allows for a great diversity of flora, fauna, and FUNGA! Home to several pine species, as well as holly trees, oaks, Atlantic white cedar, and patches of hemlock.
Please, see your October Email for details.
This is a members-only walk. Please consider joining RImycosS or, if you live closer to the Greater Boston area join the BMC. Both clubs are NAMA and NEMF-affiliated.
FALL FUNGI
Join us at the beautiful Bradner Preserve, one of The Richmond Rural Preservation Land Trust Properties. See below for a link with info on the preserve, parking, and directions.
https://exploreri.org/gSiteReport2.php?siteID=10&src=siteList
Join us at the Bradner Preserve trailhead at 10 a.m. for a fun and educational fungal foray with the Rhode Island Mycological Society! We'll divide into small teams and explore the trails, hunting for the diverse fungi that call the preserve home. After about an hour of searching, we'll reconvene at the trailhead to gather around the ID table. There, we’ll share our collections, record our discoveries, and discuss the fascinating fungi we've found.
PLEASE bring water as well as a light snack for yourself and bug spray as well. Wear appropriate clothing [ticks!].
Children are always welcome but PLEASE no pets [yes even the well-behaved ones] at this fungal frolic - we would like to focus on the mushrooms!
*Please be aware that this is not a foraging walk and we are not collecting mushrooms to eat them! This is to document species and their ecology.*
Registration is limited to 20 participants
If you sign up and later realize you cannot attend, please reach out, so we can give your space to another person.
REGISTER HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15beScFxHRxVasFQdC_9UispUecGVkLzuG3lMIfGMtpQ/edit
Sam Ristich Foray 2024 NEMF
NEMF 2024 Sam Ristich Foray will be held on beautiful Cape Cod!
The Northeast Mycological Federation is devoted to promoting knowledge about fungi in the Northeastern North American region. It comprises over two dozen mushroom clubs from Quebec to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Maine, representing over 10,000 beginners, amateurs, and professional mycophiles.
MEMBERS ONLY Foray with SPIKE
Details in recent FALL email. If you are a NEW member and have not recieved an email let us know.
Fall Fungi
October 4th at 10 am. at Sprague Farm in Glocester! Registration required.
This is one of The Glocester Land Trust Properties. See below for a link with info on the conservation area, parking, and directions.
https://www.glocesterlandtrust.org/properties/sprague-farm
Join us at the trailhead at 10 a.m. for a fun and educational fungal exploration. Take a walk with the Rhode Island Mycological Society and Mushroom enthusiast Deana Thomas. Discover the fungi who live in, and dine on, this picturesque woodland habitat.
Bring a hand lens if you have one! Please, consider downloading iNaturalist to your cell phone to photograph and log your fungal finds.
PLEASE bring water, a light snack for yourself, and bug spray. Wear appropriate clothing [ticks!].
Children are always welcome but PLEASE no pets [yes even the well-behaved ones] at this fungal frolic - we would like to focus on the mushrooms!
*Please be aware that this is not a foraging walk and we are not collecting mushrooms to eat them! This is to document species and their ecology.*
Registration is limited to 25 participants. Register here: https://forms.gle/5DsoPpSq73wEn61ZA
If you sign up and realize you cannot attend, please reach out, so we can give your space to another person.
Fungi Finders
Take a walk, with Deana Thomas. Learn to how to document the fungi you encounter- and WHY it is so important. Email: rimycos@gmail for location.
This will not be a foraging walk.
2024 COMA FORAY
2024 CLARK ROGERSON FORAY
Registration for COMA's 44th Clark Rogerson Foray (9/27/24 to 9/30 24) is now OPEN.
The overnight accommodations at this location (Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp, Copake, NY) are similar to those of a motel; all guest rooms have their own private bathroom & shower, and the home-cooked meals (the camp can accommodate most special diets) and all-day access to the heated pool make this facility unique. We will have an outstanding roster of invited mycologists and expert identifiers on hand, and foraging on the 460-acre premises and the surrounding parks is reliably satisfying.
On Saturday & Sunday, there will be scheduled outings to designated parks, and the event features both afternoon and evening programs or workshops, with "social hours" (snacks, drinks, music) starting at 9 PM each night. You may register for the "full" foray, 3 days, 2 days, or even a single day, and Copake is within easy driving distance from anywhere in our area.
A limited number of single-person rooms will be available, and these will be assigned on a "first come, first served" basis. (Please see the registration link for details.) There are also several options for sleeping 3 or even 4 people in "family" rooms, and we are pleased to pass along a 50% discount that the camp offers for children 12 and under. Please let us know if you are interested in the family rooms and/or the children's discounted rates. (Questions? JLBCO@hotmail.com (mailto:JLBCO@hotmail.com))
For the past several years, this event has filled up quickly, so we strongly advise reserving a spot ASAP. (Go to https://www.comafungi.org/clark-rogerson-foray/)
Questions? Please email to JLBCO@hotmail.com
Fungi Finders at Gilbert Stewart Museum
Join the fun and explore the fungi and forest with Deana Thomas and Alison Poole of the Rhode Island Mycological Society at the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace. They will help guests look out for and identify the many varieties of mushrooms that grow at this historic location, and talk about how fungi help our ecosystems stay healthy. The specimens collected on the walk will be brought back to sketch and learn from! (This is not a foraging walk.)
Mushroom collections will be available throughout the event for those who want to just sit, soak in the beautiful scenery, and draw fungi!
All ages are welcome
This event does not require registration- stop by when you can stay for as long as you would like!
This program is available to all guests with admission
Drop in anytime between 10 am - 1 pm
Beaver River with Mar
LINK TO REGISTER:
https://forms.gle/ntonAFaY67uxmVxu7
RAIN OR SHINE
The RI Mycological Society with permission from the Nature Conservancy is hosting a Fungal Foray at 11 AM, July 29th [Monday], at the NEWLY OPENED Beaver River Preserve [Hillsdale Road location]. At the foray, participants can expect to meet at the trailhead at 11, we will break up into mushroom finding teams, and split up throughout the preserve.
Coventry Land Trust Fungal Foray
Come explore beautiful Stella Hall with the Coventry Land Trust!
Cedar swamp, Pine barren, and oak heath forest make for an interesting habitat. Can't wait to see what is out there!
RHODE ISLAND FUNGI FAIR (R.I.F.F.)
Save the date for our First Fungus Fair!
Pop-up Mushroom Museum, educational walks, vender village, and more. Pack a picnic blanket and your lunch. Bring your drum, fiddle, guitar, dulcimer, or whatever other instrument you can find to join in on a music jam. Details coming soon-
Shiitake Logs at Maisey's Tree Farm
Learn how to grow your own mushrooms, discover the wonder of FUNGI! Bring the family and learn about mushrooms at Maisy’s Tree Farm. Lets grow!
Art with Ali
Join Ali, local fun-gal and silly goose, for this artistic workshop focusing on fungi and the beautiful nature that surrounds us, even in the winter.
Fun for all ages!
Feel free to bring your own art supplies- or use what is provided at this free event. Just bring your creativity!
The final product will be a framed nature-scape using glue and foraged fungus, lichen, etc. Participants will also have the ability to opt for creating a watercolor or acrylic fungi-themed painting.
This is a limited space event!
Registration required!
Email alisonspoole@gmail.com with names and number of attendees.
Pathways to Fungi Conservation
Join RIMYCOS Conservation Committee for a short presentation and participatory workshop to learn how to document the mushrooms you encounter.
Fungi, like other plants and animals, are facing threats of extinction due to habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change. Because fungi spend most of their lives hidden from view, scientists and conservationists need help to have a beter, more complete picture of what fungi live here, and which are rare.
Fungi need OUR help!
At this workshop we wil:
Explore different methods for documenting and identifing mushrooms.
Engage in open discussions about the importance of fungal conservation.
Connect with fellow nature enthusiasts
PIZZA!
All ages and skill levels welcome to attend.
Mushroom Mingle
Second Annual MUSHROOM MINGLE!!!
Food truck!- One2 Taco & More
Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of mingling with other mushroom enthusiasts, and celebrate the past season, RImycoS, and MUSHROOMS! 🍄 We have some exciting announcements too!
If you're passionate about mushrooms and want to get involved this is a great opportunity to do so! At this gathering, you have at least one thing in common with everyone there- a shared interest In fungi.
If you are new this is a great way to get to know some of the club members, maybe even make plans for the coming season! We believe that everyone has something valuable to contribute, and we can't wait to hear from you!
So whether you're a seasoned mushroom enthusiast or just starting, come join us and be a part of something special. This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event.
Hope to see you there!
Fungi Finders- Conservation Committee Meeting - PLANNING for 2024
WE ARE ON A MISSION TO FIND AND DOCUMENT THE FUNGI OF RHODE ISLAND.
COME LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP.
Fungi are essential drivers of ecosystem processes, but they are rarely included in site assessments and conservation planning. We want to change that.
Short Presentation: DOCUMENTING MUSHROOMS: EMPOWERING DISCOVERY TOGETHER: COMMUNITY-BASED SCIENCE
-Food for Thought-
Bring your lunch and join the discussion
ALL ARE WELCOME! Conservation Committee: Planning For 2024
NO identification experience is needed!
Beginners / Experts invited to attend
NEUTACONKANUT HILL
A guided hike for Fun Fungi search with 15 Minute Field Trips is Scheduled for October 29th 2023 a SUNDAY AFTERNOON 2pm.
“The Rhode Island Native American Indian, the mighty Narragansett Tribe, lived on the Hill centuries before the white man arrived, and continued to hold ceremonies on the Hill into the 1920s. In 1636 Roger Williams, accompanied by a group of five other ‘believers,’ obtained land from Narragansett Sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi and named his settlement Providence in thanks to God. The northwest boundary of this land, set forth by Williams and the Sachems, was the Great Hill of Neutaconkanut.”
Mushroom Walk – Wastconnaug Meadows
Please email leah@scituatelibrary.org or call 401-647-5133 to register.
Deana Thomas will be leading us on a series of educational mushroom walks! Learn about the hidden world of fungi. There are many beautiful fungi of diverse shapes, colors, and lifestyles that live right here in Rhode Island, but it is easy to walk past them unless you know where to look! We’ll learn how to identify mushrooms and about their vital role in our ecosystem – which goes far beyond being food sources or objects of curiosity.
Comfortable shoes, bug repellent and water is advised. These will be estimated 1-mile-long, 2-hr walks.
Adults and families with children welcome. Registration is required. These events are in collaboration with the Scituate Land Trust as part of Rhode Island Land Trust Days. Thank you so “mush” to them!
Fungal Foray
Explore the rich, mesic forest of Wahaneeta Preserve with the Westerly Land Trust and the RI Mycological Society and discover the fungal biodiversity in our woods. Wahaneeta is an old Girl Scout camp with a charming cedar cabin rich mesic woodland and we will explore the fungi after a lovely, damp summer, so we will surely find lots of interesting mushrooms! Join us for a fascinating Fungal Foray with the RI Mycological Society! This event will occur on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 11:00 AM (EDT). We will gather at Wahaneeta Preserve (118 Moorehouse Road, Westerly, RI 02891) to hit the woods and uncover the local fungal biodiversity. Learn from experienced mycologists, meet fellow fungal freaks, or spark new curiosity as we learn about different species, their ecological roles, and their significance. After we've spent some time exploring the woods, an expert from the RI Mycological Society will lead us through a table talk, sharing some of the discoveries and some fungal knowledge.This event is sure to bring together a great group of people, so be sure to join us! Come prepared to walk in the woods. Carpool if you can, and get your reusable water bottle. There are outhouses, so no worries there! Dog and kid-friendly.REGISTER HERE. Directions: From Dunn's Corner Road, head east on Moorhouse Road, past the baseball fields, and stay to the left at the fork. Parking is available through the gate at the trailhead on the large grassy area to the left.
Exploring Fungi through Nature journaling and Book Arts
Join RI Mycological Society and artist Carmen Moreno for a small presentation and workshop that explores the many ways to engage with fungi through the arts. This class is great for anyone who wants to explore drawing mushrooms, or who loves experimenting in their sketchbook. We will examine a variety of journaling practices and provide time for collective drawing, sketching, and watercolors. Feel free to bring your own working materials if you already have a journal started. Paper, pencils, and watercolors will be provided.
There are 18 seats available, RSVP at RImycoS@gmail.com
Carmen Moreno is a visual artist, writer, performer, and ecological designer. They also work as an independent researcher and are interested in the intersections of science, art, ecologies, and Latin American histories. In their work, they often examine the boundaries and relationships between earth and body seeking to understand complex dynamics between the built environment and ecological habitats. Recently, focusing on mushrooms and mycelium as a map, cartography, or model in nature for understanding properties of emergence. Carmen’s drawings explore concepts of place and belonging in relation to nature, land, water, sound, funga, and their cultural identity as first-generation.
Sundays on The Farm
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Can you believe it is already July?? Gather up some friends and come play yard games, go for a hike, listen to old time live music (or even better- bring your own instrument and join in!) chill on the farmhouse lawn, and go on a farmhouse museum tour. A mushroom walk on the farm trails will begin at 11am. If it rains we will cancel.
See you at the farm!
Microscopy Workshop
Explorers of the Fungal Microcosmos
Thank you for your patience while we sorted out all the details! The Microscopy Workshop with Patrick Verdier is happening Monday, July 10, at 5pm at the Cumberland Library.
If you would like to look for mushrooms before the workshop, we will meet at 4:15 sharp in the Hayden Center parking lot and do a quick search on monastery grounds for fungi.
Feel free to bring along samples from your own fungal expeditions and prepare to be amazed as we dive into the microscopic wonders of fungi!
Making spore prints is fun and easy! Here are some tips if you would like to make your own to bring along:
https://namyco.org/how_to_spore_prints.php