Friday Arrivals can check in to SOMA Camp from 11:00am to 6pm.  

Friday is a less busy day, we have limited classes and forays the on Friday, with plenty of time to get settled in and ready for a great weekend!  Friday evening will be Mushroom Pizza & Salad for dinner!

Bring by your donations for Silent Auction after you check-in for SOMA Camp.  Bidding starts as soon as the tables are set up!   All day Friday and Saturday check in to see if you've been outbid, and bid again.  Tables close Saturday at 5pm, items go to the highest bidders!

SOMA Bookstore open from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.  SOMA's talented artists and presenters are selling Hand-Made crafts through the bookstore.  Check it out!

Bring your fungal finds to the table for identification. Please bring anything and everything you find. Our specialists will help you figure out what you found, categorize it, and professionally photograph the best specimens.  Some finds may go out for DNA sequencing!  Monday morning please join us in the spore zone tent where we will discuss and review all finds. 

Meet at the Bear Valley Visitors Center in Pt. Reyes National Park.

Foray begins on Friday 11:00 a.m from Bear Valley visitor center,  ends around 2:00 p.m. so you have time to get to CYO and check in by 5:00 p.m.

Led by Mikhael C. Selk, Gregg Miller, and others.

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On-the-way-to-Camp on Friday: Pt. Reyes National Park foray, meet up at the Bear Valley Visitor Center.  Mikhael C. Selk, Gregg Miller, and others lead the group. The main group will go to the Woodpecker trail.  Some folks may go in small groups to their favorite spots in the park. 

This foray starts onsite at 11am at the Bear Valley Visitors Center in Pt. Reyes National Park. Foray ends around 2:00pm so you have time to get to CYO and check in by 5:00pm (about 45 min drive).

If you arrive late: just go to the Woodpecker trail, you'll catch up to the group.  There are maps and restrooms at the Bear Valley visitor center.  Parking is free!

Meeting Point on Friday at 11am is near Sonoma - Exact address will be emailed to registered participants.

On-the-way-to-Camp Friday Foray at 11am: near Jack London State Park on 600 acre private property, lead by Dr. Gordon Walker (Fascinated by Fungi).  Parking very limited!  

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This location is hilly, and requires good hiking shoes/boots due to rocky and slippery paths.  Its about a 2 mile loop, so if that's too far for you, please consider going to Pt. Reyes instead.  Please show up on time and prepared, there is a gated access and once the foray leaves, they cannot go back and open the gate for people who are late.

This foray starts near Sonoma at 11am, concluding at 2pm (or so) and all participants must depart. Then head over to CYO to check-in for Camp by 5pm (about 1 hour drive from Sonoma).  

Walk up into the CYO hills on the first day of SOMA Camp.  There's lots of spots known to have abundant fungi.  It's a bit hilly, but the trails are wide.  Can be easy to get turned around, so recommend you use a hiking app to track your progress, so its easy to get back!

“Assigned Pooling” is a knitting technique to manage the color changes in hand-dyed yarn. The Amanita Muscaria Shawl is crescent-shaped. It is small, and can be worn as a shawl or a scarf. It requires 100 grams / 400 yards of sock-weight yarn. The yarn for this shawl is hand-dyed, one skein at a time, using acid dye from Dharma Trading Company. One quarter of the skein is dyed red with white stripes. The rest is dyed in forest shades of green and brown. The red and white section becomes little patches of mushrooms with this technique. They are scattered on a forest floor, knitted in the greens and browns. In this class, I’ll teach you how to read an “Assigned Pooling” pattern. Then we’ll cast on and you’ll start knitting the shawl. I provide the yarn. You bring US 5, circular knitting needles that are 30 inches long, plus or minus an inch or two. You’ll leave with a good start on your shawl and the skills you need to complete it. This is not a beginning knitting class. You must be proficient at knitting and purling. Other useful skills are yarn over, picking up stitches and knitting and purling several stitches together. I can teach you these, but you must be a proficient knitter/purler to be successful in this class. I will have a few circular knitting needles available for purchase for $5.00 if you don’t have them.

Botanical printing uses real leaves along with mineral and tannin to transfer natural color and shape from plants onto natural fiber such as silk, cotton and linen. It is like printing a photo directly from the plants to the fabric. In this class, you will make 1 silk scarf using lichen and plants.

From freeze-drying & canning to drying, freezing & pickling.

We will do a in-depth dive into the specifics of various techniques for mushroom preservation.  Then I will review my nine favorite groups of wild mushrooms and the best techniqes for each group: Boletes, Winter Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Chanterelles, Morels, Matsutake, Lobster, Candy Caps, Coccora.

Else vellinga will give her Spores Lecture today, this is a SOMA classic, if you haven't seen it, don't miss it!  Elsa stopped giving this talk, but is doing it one last time for us.  Thanks, Else!

Prior lecture - cancelled:  Fungal Range Maps  (Thea Chesney)

Understanding where an organism lives, and why, is an essential part of understanding its life history and ecology, yet we have been lacking in data for the geographic distribution of many fungi in our rapidly changing world. We will discuss the historical and current state of knowledge, as well as recent efforts to improve these data and discoveries that are both helping and sometimes confounding our understanding of fungal species distribution.

Wine, Beer, Music, and Convivial Hobnobbing in the Main Hall.  Music will be provided by local musician Michael Sallstrom and his group.

Chef Jennifer will be serving fresh baked pizza with wild mushrooms added, and Salad.  Join us for a casual evening meal in the Main Hall

In this talk, Dr. Cat Adams will present tantalizing vignettes about the role of fungi in historically important moments. Was Roman Emperor Claudius really taken down by a death cap mushroom? How did 17th century people first start growing button mushrooms in the catacombs under Paris? Was a fungal contaminant really to blame for the Salem Witch Trials? Find out all this and more in this fun, photo-filled lecture!

Breakfast Service - Muffins, Fruit, and Coffee

Classes start at 9am!

Check in, sign the liabilty waiver and pick up your badge.  Your badge must worn at all times while at Camp.

SOMA Bookstore open from 8:30AM to 6:00PM.  SOMA's talented artists and presenters are selling Hand-Made crafts through the bookstore.  Check it out!

Bid on Silent Auction items in the main hall.  Bidding will close one table at a time, starting at 5pm.  Tables close every 10 minutes, keep track of your bids on each table and be ready to make a final bid just before the tables close.  Pay for your winning bids at the bookstore.

Lunch prepared by CYO kitchen crew.

Open for drop-in questions and observation.  Harte will be demonstrating DNA extraction and amplification techniques for PCR using modern flow-cell technology.  We will select important specimens from camp and extract DNA from them. 

Jon Sommer will lead a beginners fungi identification walk, that follows his morning mushroom ID class.  Anyone is welcome to attend.  We'll walk around the CYO grounds.

Bring your fungal finds to the table for identification. Please bring anything and everything you find. Our specialists will help you figure out what you found, categorize it, and professionally photograph the best specimens.  Some finds may go out for DNA sequencing!  Monday morning please join us in the spore zone tent where we will discuss and review all finds. 

The first part of this class + foray is a Saturday morning walk on the CYO campus focused on finding mushrooms that can be used to create natural pigments. 

The second part is a hands-on session on Sunday, 9-12, in Chanterelle (below the Main Hall), where we experiment with making paints from our discoveries.  You need to sign up for both the foray and class. There is no charge for the foray, but you will be charged a $25 materials fee for the hands-on class on Sunday.

This foray will roam the grounds of CYO in search of fungi that yeild pigments for dyeing.  But, you never know what you will find!

Great foray for beginners!

Truffle class & walk  The foray includes a short introduction to truffle ecology, hints on how to find different types of truffles, how to use them in the kitchen, recommended books, and truffling etiquette to keep the CYO grounds looking acceptable.   Participants will need a 3-prong or 4-prong truffle rake to dig underground for the truffles. Yes, it is hard work!

Optional class for first-time attendees - maps for class locations, CYO grounds, foray basics, evening activities, etc.  All questions will be answered!

Medicinal Mushrooms: A how-to class focusing on a few popular medicinals like reishi, turkey tail, chaga and similar; Learn how to find, identify, preserve, prepare and consume these "non-gourmet" mushrooms.

Are you a first-time forager or consider yourself a beginner and finding it challenging to know where to start on your mushroom journey? We will cover the safest and easiest to edible mushrooms to identify, including chanterelles, boletes, oysters and more. Learn what season, habitat, and specific trees where you are likely to find these friendly fungi. Intended for beginners, but all are welcome.

What are mushrooms and How to ID them. Learn the key features needed to identify mushrooms. We review all of the groups of mushrooms, from Agarics to Puffballs, From Morels to Smuts, and learn how to field ID most mushrooms.

This is a small group with lots of individual instruction. Questions are encouraged!

Can mushroom toxins enable a biological invasion? Investigating the chemical ecology of the invasive death cap in California.

My PhD research is investigating the invasion of Amanita phalloides (the death cap) in California and how its toxins mediate interactions with antagonistic invertebrates, mycoparasites, and soil microbial competitors.

We will learn the process of making paper. Fungus will be the primary pulp used, but other paper making fibers may be added to add strength and make it easier to work with. Inclusions will be available to add to your paper, but you may wish to bring flat dried material to use.

Make a key chain and/or bracelets, earrings using a Kumihimo disk for an eight strand braid. Mushroom dyed silk, wool, glow in the dark yarns and metallic threads provided, as well as charms and beads to embellish.

Don’t you just love the look of a henna tatoo? The intricacy and warm, earthy color just draw you in. What if you could make a henna-type ink out of mushrooms? Sid can, and he’ll show you how!

There is a hidden bonus to these henna-like tatoos. They are that lovely brown when applied, and will be that color until you wash them off. While now invisible in regular light, they will glow under black light. So cool!

In this session, we'll transform simple clay and logs into enchanting, functional art pieces. You'll learn how to sculpt charming mushrooms from clay. We'll also incorporate LED lights into the design to bring a warm glow to your creations. Finally, we'll mount the mushrooms on logs to give your lights a rustic, natural feel. By the end of the class, you'll have a unique and personalized mushroom light to brighten up any space.

In this Culinary Demonstration you will learn innovative ways to use all parts of the the wild mushrooms we find in the forest (and the cultivated wild mushrooms on the shelves of our local market), in exiting and innovative ways.

Registered participants get to enjoy the samples and tastings. But you can still watch the presentation if you’re not registered.

Mushrooms grow in abundance in California State nearly year around. Some are poisonous, many of no culinary value, some are medicinal and a select group is some of the best food to enjoy. The Westcoast is the region richest in edible mushroom in North America, maybe the Western hemisphere. Our choice edible mushrooms such as morels, chanterelles, hedgehogs, king boletes, and bear heads are fairly easy to identify, a fact that helps overcoming fungophobia and truly appreciate wild mushrooms. In addition many good edibles have so far underappreciated medicinal qualities and otherwise inedible conks offer great healing powers. In this richly illustrated presentation Daniel will help you to get to know, identify and find these wonderful mushrooms while steering you clear of dangerous look-a-likes. You will be advised how to properly collect, carefully transport, safely prepare and reliably store your mushrooms and how to process for unlocking their medicinal powers. Key in finding prime mushrooms is getting to know their preferred habitat and their seasonality. In addition Daniel is mixing in some fungal fun & facts from his research and mushroaming travels.

Building on a class that he has presented every year at SOMA since 2014, Zachary presents this expanded version of his existential philosophy of what makes us a the most complex single unit in this world, and how to we recognize this complexity in the world around us: with a deep nod to organization and networking such as mycelium, our brains and the Universe at large, this talk promises to entertain!

In this talk we'll cover common and not so common edibles in Northern California as well as their lookalikes. We'll discuss their habitat, seasonality and more. This is a great class for beginners to build more confidence.

The first rule is that there are no rules: Mother Nature is unruly and wild. Mushrooms seem to have their own minds. So how do we tune in and predict the timing of mushroom fruiting in the wild? There are clues. Jill will help you see what they are and how to listen for more successful mushroom forays. Remember that almost any day in the forest and woods hunting/searching for mushrooms is better than almost any day stuck inside with electronics. Jill will discuss habitat for a variety of mushrooms. Psychedelic mushrooms are not included in this talk (it’s a different kind of tuning in).

This class will focus on the fungi of Sonoma County. When and where to find local mushrooms, tree types, edibles, cool and weird mushrooms, and more.

David is on the Board of Directors for SOMA, and is the science instructor at Herbert Slater Middle School

Thanks to plummeting sequencing costs in the last few years, several US mycology groups have launched DNA barcoding programs to document fungal biodiversity. In this presentation, we will describe the basics of DNA barcoding, introduce the East Bay Fungal Genomics project (formerly of SLOPE labs), and share highlights from our first sequencing campaign, including rare and undescribed species from CA. *We received a community science grant from SOMA in 2023. This presentation documents our work to collect and DNA-barcode CA specimens and introduce lay mycologists to fungal genomics over the last year. While Cole has been the PI for the project, several members of our team -- Dani, Acorn, Nicole, Tanuki, and Mario -- are planning on attending SOMA camp and hope to assist in this presentation.

Tapestry weaving has been around since at least the 3rd century B.C. Some tapestries are simple, others have elaborate pictures woven into them. In this class, students will create their own simple tapestries on little acrylic looms using mushroom-dyed wool yarns and natural color wools. We can weave in feathers, sticks, and other natural materials (some provided or bring your own).

Using alginate and silicone, making molds of fresh mushrooms and then casting them. This could be used for fun and craft, or for creating useful education tools.

This workshop will be an exploration of the forest magic that is mushroom dyeing, what variables shift the resulting colors, and other considerations including ethical harvest. AND participants will go home with gorgeous mushroom-dyed items!

Join artist Chris Adams (the human behind Corvidopolis, The Mushroom Tarot and Sporelust!), to discuss & practice basic techniques for drawing anything––but in this case mushrooms & other inspirational beings from the natural world. Chris will describe his basic processes of drawing from the real world & photographic reference, work with the class on some fun experimentations with common media and outline his approach to combining personal creative inspiration with accurate––sometimes scientific––observation.

Suggested Class Materials:
You will receive a “How to Draw a Mushroom” info sheet with some tips & nonsense and some basic tools will be available. Please bring your favorite media and some blank paper so we can make the most out of our forest time, and it doesn’t hurt to show up with technical questions or artistic goals you might want to discuss!

A hands on workshop, diving deep into the world of fermentation using koji a filamentous fungi, beans, and a seasonal wild mushroom. We will go over what is koji and miso, and then talk about best fermentation practices while working with this ferment. This class will specifically focus on miso fermentation, with an emphasis using local seasonal mushrooms. First 30 to sign up will be able to taste samples of our savory morel and sweet chanterelle miso to learn more from a deeper sensory experience. Next, we will all wash our hands and get fermenting together. Participants will take home a jar of mushroom miso that will ferment over time, and the knowledge to ferment something else on their own in the futureYou can attend this presentation if you're on the wait list, but you just won't be getting to try the samples or take home your own jar of miso.

You can attend this presentation if you're not registered, but you just won't be getting to try the samples or take home your own jar of miso.

Come join Jill as she explores the diversity of mushrooms and their uses for your health - physical, mental and emotional. She will discuss some of the latest research about mushrooms for all these aspects of your life - for life enhancement.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi: how genes can inform our understanding of their lifestyle.

Starting with a brief introduction to ectomycorrhizal fungi, I will describe my research on the genes that regulate their symbiosis.

Shitake cultivation techniques and history of mushroom cultivation.

A new drop-in Microscopy Lab will be available for viewing the tiny, tiny, tiny spores of mushrooms, and other fun bits.  Generously run by the EB Genomics Group and the San Francisco Microscopal Society

Wine, Beer, Cheese and Convivial Hobnobbing, in both the Main Hall and new Tent in the Spore Zone.  Music will be provided by local musician Michael Sallstrom in the Tent!

Local cheese selection at 4:30pm.
Silent Auction at 5pm

Live music in the tent, performed by Michael Salstrom and friends.

Tables close every 10 minutes, starting at 5pm.  Table closings will be announced.  Winners can make payment at the bookstore, and pick up their items.

Dinner Extravaganza!  Mushroom-themed dinner cooked onsite by Jennifer Levine and the SOMA Culinary Crew

"The Human Faces of Mushrooms in the Millennium," an idiosyncratic tour of fungi in art, culture, and futurist speculation of the newest wave of naturalists (of which so many of us are a part) at and around the turn of this latest century. Heavy on the art.

As a millennial, I'm interested to look back over the past 40 years to see how the fungal kingdom has been mobilized to tell stories about humanity and the more-than-human, and how these representations might have invited or discouraged engagement with fungi. 

Starts when the Keynote Presentation is completed (may be later than 9pm)

Buy a SOMA branded UV light at the bookstore and join the after-hours foray on CYO grounds looking at all the fungi and fauna that reflect UV light. 

Breakfast - Self service by CYO

Prepare your packed Sunday Lunch. There is no other lunch provided at CYO on Sunday.

SOMA Bookstore open from 8:30AM to 6:00PM.  SOMA's talented artists and presenters are selling hand-made crafts through the bookstore.  Check it out!

Harte will be demonstrating DNA extraction and amplification techniques for PCR using modern flow-cell technology.  We will select important specimens from camp and extract DNA from them. 

Bring your fungal finds to the ID tables for identification. Please bring anything and everything you find. Our specialists will help you figure out what you found, categorize it, and professionally photograph the best specimens.  Some finds may go out for DNA sequencing!  Monday morning please join us in the tent where we will discuss and review all finds.

This is an all day foray to find edible mushrooms at Salt Point State Park. Please carpool and bring mushroom baskets and good walking shoes. The parking at the Upper Stump Beach trailhead is very limited.  But, this is a great spot for hedgehogs and black trumpets.  Its not far from the cars but somewhat steep downhill, and uphill back, maybe a mile round trip.  Sometimes there are downed trees or washouts on the trail.

Its a bit of a drive, so we try to leave as early as possible.  Make your lunch at CYO before the foray and take it with you.

Group will depart CYO around 9:15am (make your lunch at CYO main hall to bring with you), and should arrive at Salt Point State Park, Woodside Day Use area around 10:15am.  The group will explore the central trail for wild mushrooms, which usually are abundant this time of year.  Moderate uphill hiking approx 2 or 3 miles, bring good hiking shoes, and dress in layers.  Bring fungi back to CYO and drop off at ID table for the experts to identify.  Join the ID session on Monday morning to learn about everything found during the weekend.

If you can learn to find small fungi you'll never have a season without mushrooms in California. This foray will focus on how to read habitat for niches that small fungi like to occupy and introduce you to field tools that make them easier to document.

On CYO Grounds, leaves at 9am from main hall front doors, just walk out from there!

Jessica Holloway will be the LandPaths Docent, and (SOMA Staff) will be your mushroom guides for this unique property in the hills of West County.  Habitat varies, mainly hills and valleys with oaks and pines.  There are protected historic mining structures, a marsh, and waterfall.

About a 20 min drive from CYO.  Parking is very limited, carpooling is recommended.  The entrance path is a very steep 1/2 mile hike, and terrain is very hilly.  Make your lunch at CYO before the foray and take it with you.  

Bring fungi back to CYO and drop off at ID table for the experts to identify.  Join the ID session on Monday morning to learn about everything found during the weekend.

Westminster Woods main trail usually has abundant mushrooms and is 20 minutes drive from CYO camp.  Trail is fairly steep but there is good parking and restrooms.  Good location for beginners.  Make your lunch at CYO before the foray and take it with you.

Bring fungi back to CYO and drop off at ID table for the experts to identify.  Join the ID session on Monday morning to learn about everything found during the weekend.

The last two years we drove out to Montage Healdsburg to tour the truffle orchard with my truffle dog, Jasper or other truffle dogs. We tour the orchard and talk about wins, losses, issues with farming fungi in an orchard setting. We need about three hours to drive to/from and be there for an hour. We always drive the back roads to/from camp and mushroom hunt along the way, bringing back any good specimens for the ID table.

Join artist Chris Adams (Corvidopolis, The Mushroom Tarot and Sporelust!), for a walk in the woods to observe local funga, flora & fauna. During our walk we'll discuss the importance & power of observation, collect fungal forest friends for drawing demos, and share what each of us would like to glean from the workshop. 

You'll hear about one artist’s process, the overlap between scientific specimen collection & artistic observation, and some basic photo reference tips for remembering morphological traits & environmental cohorts. 

There will also be some time––either in the woods or under cover, weather permitting––to work on & discuss basic drawing techniques for achieving your personal creative goals. 

Suggested Class Materials:
You will receive a “How to Draw a Mushroom” info sheet with some tips & nonsense and some basic tools will be available. Please bring your favorite media and some blank paper so we can make the most out of our forest time, and it doesn’t hurt to show up with technical questions or artistic goals you might want to discuss!

It'll be wet, so dress accordingly for at least a short walk around the grounds to observe & maybe collect a few mushrooms.

Ryath will take approx 25 people to tour his mushroom farm!  The Moonfruit farm is a 15 minute drive from camp.  Due to parking limitations, there will be about a 1/2 mile walk to get to the farm from the parking area.  Ryath grows mainly shitake on oak logs, and experiments with different cultivation and sterilization methods.  The Northern California climate has many challenges for mushroom cultivation. Ryath is always trying to improve the process and yields, and he is happy to share his experience.

Assemble in front of the main hall to carpool to the farm.

Dive into the fascinating world of medicinal mushrooms in this comprehensive class that bridges ancient traditions with modern scientific discoveries. We’ll begin with an introduction to the mushroom lifecycle and the key parts of a mushroom, setting the foundation for understanding their medicinal potential. The session will then explore a range of fungi species historically and currently used in medicine, including Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Maitake, Shiitake, and others. We’ll examine the bioactive compounds unique to each species, their sources within the fungi, and their scientifically studied effects on health. Attendees will also learn about the current dietary supplement market, gaining insights into product quality, sourcing, and key factors to consider when selecting mushroom-based supplements. Relevant research and emerging trends in medicinal mycology will be highlighted, offering participants an up-to-date perspective on this rapidly evolving field. Whether you’re a wellness enthusiast, a healthcare professional, or simply curious about the power of fungi, this class will provide valuable knowledge and practical takeaways for exploring the potential of medicinal mushrooms.

Truffles: The Egos, Ecology, and Economics of Cultivating and Hunting Nature’s Nuggets of Gold. I will present what truffles are, who eats them, why they are essential to global ecosystems, and current methodologies for growing truffles in the USA. The last portion will be a Q&A, as many people attend my class year after year. Some of them are trying to grow truffles, and they always bring lots of questions.

This is the second half of this foray & class, where we will experiment with making paints from the mushrooms we gathered on Saturday. Only sign up for this class if you have registered for the Saturday foray.

Workshop designed to provide both experienced microscope users and those new to microscopy with the skills and knowledge necessary to use a compound microscope as a tool in fungal identification. The workshop will begin with a lecture and review of the microscopic characters that are commonly used to identify fungi, and will proceed into hands-on demonstrations on how to properly use a compound light microscope. The remainder of the workshop will consist of directed activities designed to teach the participants how to properly view and identify fungi using a microscope and identification keys, as well as ample time to explore the diversity of fungi available. All materials, identification keys and other pertinent literature will be provided. Drop-ins welcome permitting space. Class is co-taught with Michael Wood.

This workshop includes the basics of needle-felting for beginners. Included are needles and other supplies to make 2-D and/or 3D projects using roving and yarn.

Learn the basics and some advanced techniques of working with cyanotypes, an early photographic process, by making notecards, postcards and a fabric tote bag or scarf. Images will be mushroom-themed on pre-coated light sensitive paper/fabric which we will expose to the sun and then set the image with water. We will also explore the history and some optional techniques. Your "mushroom blueprints" will have white silhouettes on a lovely prussian blue background and will be frameable. The process can be predictable, but also offer results with "happy accidents".

Despite the name, Yorkshire buttons didn’t really come from Yorkshire, England, and there is no evidence of a historic button making industry there. First woven in the 1980s using cardboard looms, they’re not even particularly historic like their cousin the Dorset button. Still, they are beautiful, versatile, and most of all, really fun to make. Weaving a Yorkshire button is fine work, akin to twining with waxed Irish linen and embroidery. If you love those crafts, you’ll love making Yorkshire buttons! In this class you’ll receive a set of Yorkshire button looms of various sizes, inspired by Gina B Silkworks, in a little zipper pouch, enough mushroom-dyed yarn to master the craft, needles, and a few button cards on which to display your buttons. We’ll make the basic Yorkshire button first, then move on to as many variations as we have time for.

Set up 4 dye pots to dye with 4 different lichens. Go over a handout on collecting lichens, how to prepare them for a dye bath. I'll bring yarn skeins that have already been dyed with lichens and my dye sample book that has 10 different lichens included.

The best way to get to know and remember a mushroom is to draw and paint it! We will learn about materials for drawing and painting mushrooms in a field journal/sketchbook, and learn lots of tips and tricks to capture the beauty and nuances of your foraging find. Please bring a mushroom you want to paint if possible. Brushes, watercolor paint, and paper will be provided, but bring any supplies you prefer/already use. All levels of art makers welcome!

What You Will Learn What is agar: A brief introduction to agar as a nutrient-rich medium used to cultivate fungal cultures. Why use agar: Understand agar’s critical role in isolating fungal strains, maintaining cultures, and assessing fungal health.

• How to establish a fungal culture from a wild or store-bought mushroom: Step-by-step guidance for creating a culture from fresh mushrooms.

• Best practices for using a still air box or laminar flow hood: Essential techniques for safely and effectively working with cultures and sterile media.

• Maintaining and refining a culture: Methods for transferring and improving fungal cultures to ensure vigorous growth.

• Cleaning a contaminated culture: Strategies for isolating healthy mycelium from contaminated plates.

• Best practices for storing a culture: Approaches for preserving cultures in both the short and long term.

• What’s next? A brief introduction to how fungal cultures are used to produce spawn for mushroom cultivation.

• What participants will take home: Each participant will leave with an agar plate containing a mycelium culture they sampled themselves and can continue growing.

All materials for the workshop will be provided by Redwood Mushroom Supply (other than foraged mushrooms that participants may want to sample):

• Still air boxes: For hands-on practice in creating clean working conditions.

• Laminar flow hoods: For hands-on practice in creating clean working conditions.

• Scalpels: Essential tools for sampling mushroom tissue and transferring it to agar.

• Pre-poured agar plates: Ready-to-use plates for culturing.

• Sealing film: Used to seal agar plates after inoculation to prevent contamination.

• Sharpies: For labeling agar plates with species names and sampling dates

• Tool sterilizers: For effectively sterilizing culturing tools.

• Fresh mushrooms: Required for hands-on culturing exercises.

This talk introduces how to identify mushrooms that can be used for natural dyeing, focusing on species found locally and accessible to beginners. You’ll learn to spot key features of dye-producing fungi, including where they grow, their ecological roles, and what to look for in the field. The presentation will also cover how to collect, store, and prepare mushrooms for dye projects, with straightforward steps to extract pigments. Attendees will leave with useful information about tools, field guides, and other resources to help identify dye mushrooms and start their own projects. Whether you’re new to fungi or looking for creative ways to use them, This talk will give you the tools and knowledge to start exploring the colorful potential of local mushrooms, connecting science, creativity, and community in a hands-on way.

This workshop will explore the fascinating and practical applications of fungi in medicine, industry, and environmental sustainability. Beginning with the historical significance of fungi in medicine, we'll discuss modern advancements in biotechnology, such as the use of CRISPR to bioengineer fungal genes with bacteria or yeast for producing compounds used in pharmaceuticals and everyday products like laundry detergents. We'll examine the role of fungi in creating sustainable alternatives to traditional materials, including packaging, leather, and foams for automotive use, and delve into innovative food products like tempeh, mycelium-based bacon, and other protein-rich alternatives. Practical applications for environmental challenges, such as fungal degradation of plastics and scaling these processes for commercial use, will also be covered. Additionally, participants will learn about companies currently harnessing the potential of fungi in industries such as biodegradable product development and sustainable design. By the end of the session, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how fungi are shaping the future of medicine, materials, and sustainability. This session is designed for researchers, industry professionals, and anyone interested in the growing impact of mycology on real-world challenges.

I will set up and have 4 mushroom dye baths , to dye various pre-mordanted yarn and silk samples. I will have handouts that will cover the whole dye process from collecting mushrooms to preparing them and dying with them. I will also bring my dye sample book of over 50 mushrooms and yarn that has been mushroom dyed

Sculpting and molding mushrooms using air dry clay. Can paint the next day :)

We will use graphite pencils and color pencils to create realistic drawings of mushrooms foraged or borrowed from displays

Inspired by the beautiful surroundings and of course the fungi in Sonoma, come carve a linoleum block for printing cards and tea towels to remind you of SOMA Camp when you get home! All the tools required will be provided, as well as ink, card stock and tea towels. We’ll also have a selection of printed clip art, if sketching seems daunting, and some pre-carved printing blocks for inspiration, printing practice and greater design variety. NOTES: Kristen Blizzard is the co-teacher of this class. We are happy to do TWO sessions to get more people through the class if there is interest.

iNaturalist Deep Dive - how to make observations, use projects, and data mine.

iNaturalist has become the biggest community science platform for species biogeography and has become a major faucet of the mycological community due to its ease of use and its ability to capture data on host plants, insects, etc that make the ecology of fungi easier to see. We will walk through the basics of mushroom identification and how to translate that into robust iNaturalist observations and then turn our attention to different level of data mining from the platform and the use of projects to collect unique data sets and motivate groups of people to make observations.

This presentation focuses on the importance of preserving fungal specimens and the critical role fungariums play in supporting both scientific research and community access to fungi studies. My project involves establishing the first fungarium at College of the Redwoods, creating a collection that documents fungi found on campus and provides specimens for academic and public use. Data from this project is also documented on iNaturalist, contributing to a global platform that connects local fungal observations to broader citizen science efforts. Fungariums are important for preserving collections for future studies, enabling researchers to study fungi species over time and perform advanced studies such as DNA sequencing. They also provide students and community members with opportunities to engage directly with fungal specimens, creating a deeper understanding of fungi's ecological roles. This talk will discuss the steps involved in building the fungarium, its integration with iNaturalist, and its long term significance for research, education, and community involvement.

Join us in the main hall of this weekend at our casual microscopy corner, or check out our EB Genomics project Saturday 1-2:30p in Chanterelle.  Apply to become a lab resident and move into our lab, or send us an email at Info@mariogabiati.com today to see if we can bring the power of microbiological science to your project.  

A team of amazing chefs will be running several stations to prepare wild mushroom tastings in the main hall. 

Wine, Beer, and Convivial Hobnobbing, mushroom henna tatoos that glow in the dark with Sidnee in both the Main Hall and new Tent in the Spore Zone.  Music will be provided by local musician Michael Sallstrom in the Tent!

Wear your best mushroom attire and strut through the main hall!  Fun for all!

Chef Daniel Kedan and some folks from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) prepare a mult-course mushroom feast for Sunday night!

STARTS AFTER DINNER & DESSERT - Moderated by Dr. Gordon Walker

Movie Night!  Several short fungi films and POPCORN with Candy Cap powder or Porcini Powder !!
 

Starts after the evening presentation is completed (may be later than 9pm).

Bring your UV flashlight and join the after-hours foray on CYO grounds looking at all the fungi and fauna that reflect UV light. 

Breakfast - Self service by CYO

Last chance to get your SOMA T-Shirts and Books.  Store closes at 11am.

Dorothy Beebee and her children Myra and Martin will visit SOMA camp to host a showing of her new Documentary Film, "Try it and See", about the early days of dying with mushrooms.  Don't miss it!!

Lunch - Self service by CYO

Clean up all Cabins and take down Camp.  All Cabins must be cleared and cleaned by 2pm.  Thanks everyone for participating in SOMA Camp!!

Take the next step in mushroom pigments.   Learn to create lake pigments by precipitating pigments out of liquid, with history of use of these dyes from around the world.

Painting and drawing an object from nature can be a beautiful way of calming and focusing your mind on the present. For this workshop we will do a short grounding exercise and, then we will meditate while painting a mushroom. Paint and paper will be provided, or bring whatever media you would like to work with. 

Since 2019, Zachary and Kimberly Hunter have been leading mushroom tours in the mountains of Mexico. Now having completed their 5th season with the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, the knowledge and wisdom held by these ancient peoples is becoming clearer and clearer. This talk encompasses a lot of information about Mexico's ecosystem, mycology, ethnomycology, applied mycology, and gastronomy, with a nod to the mycophilia that pervades the oldest parts of the country.

Fungimental Mycophagy--A sophisticated look at the basics of eating wild mushrooms

This presentation features stunning mushroom images and stories from fifteen years of “Mushroaming”, a term Daniel coined for his mushroom themed eco-adventures exploring the funga of exotic destinations. When traveling in rugged High Asia (Tibet & Bhutan), his native Alps, tropical South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia & Suriname), as well as wild North America, Daniel is on the hunt for gorgeous choice edibles, potent medicinals, and all kinds of bizarre and colorful fungi from the most minute to massive fruitings. His favorite hounds are rain forests, be it tropical or temperate as well as mountain environments ripe with porcini, chanterelles etc.. His favorite fungi (besides all these tasty edibles) are strange Cordyceps, which triggered Daniel’s curiosity in medicinal mushrooms 25 years ago in Tibet. This interest matured into a new field guide “Medicinal Mushrooms of North America” published in cooperation with Robert Rogers.

George Riner and other expert ID folks will discuss the finds at SOMA Camp. All are welcome to ask questions and participate in discussion.

Gourmet Mushrooms Inc (aka Mycopia) has been a consistent and extremely generous donor to SOMA.  Justin Reyes, Vice President of SOMA, and Director of Sales and Marketing for Mycopia Mushrooms, will give a tour of the Gourmet Mushrooms operation.  A fun thing to do on your way out of Camp!  Check out their website at www.mycopia.com for new and interesting information about mushrooms!

Tour starts at 1:30pm at the Mycopia growing facility, 2901 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472 (about 30 mins from CYO).  Please make sure you are fully checked out of cabins at CYO before attending this tour.  PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER IF YOU HAVE TAKEN THIS TOUR BEFORE.