South Sound Mushroom Club

South Sound Mushroom Club Founded in 1974, we're a 501(c)3 based in Olympia, WA, U.S.A. Proud affiliate of the North American Mycological Association.

Our Mission: Educating the community, studying fungi of the Pacific Northwest, advancing the science of mycology.

Matsutake in July! Foray leader Gene picked these yesterday. We will be cooking and sampling these tomorrow at our membe...
08/01/2026

Matsutake in July! Foray leader Gene picked these yesterday. We will be cooking and sampling these tomorrow at our members only potluck. Not a member yet? You can join for as little as $10/year at our website, or join tomorrow at the potluck.

Sunday, August 2nd from 11 AM to 2 PM at Squaxin Park, Shelter 1 (Rose Garden). Bring a dish or beverage to share (No alcohol at city parks), lawn games if you have them, and any cool fungi you've found lately to be IDed by some of our expert

Here's another cool photo from our foray chair Regina, found recently near Queets. This is Amanita pachycolea, aka The W...
07/31/2026

Here's another cool photo from our foray chair Regina, found recently near Queets. This is Amanita pachycolea, aka The Western Grisette, a large ringless amanita that grows in our region with conifers. While it's an edible mushroom, it's not one we recommend for beginners as it can be easily confused with toxic Amanita species.

In case you missed it, our Members Only summer picnic & potlock is coming up this Sunday, August 2nd from 11 AM to 2 PM at Squaxin Park, Shelter 1 (Rose Garden). Bring a dish or beverage to share (No alcohol at city parks), lawn games if you have them, and any cool fungi you've found lately to be IDed by some of our expert members!

Check out this lobster mushroom that our foray chair Regina found near Queets. We've been hearing from a lot of folks ou...
07/31/2026

Check out this lobster mushroom that our foray chair Regina found near Queets. We've been hearing from a lot of folks out in the woods that the lobster mushrooms are out!

Did you know? Lobsters are actually a mold (Hypomyces lactifluorum) growing on a mushroom (Russula sp)! It's fungus all the way down!

In other news, our Members Only summer picnic & potlock is coming up this Sunday, August 2nd from 11 AM to 2 PM at Squaxin Park, Shelter 1 (Rose Garden). Bring a dish or beverage to share (No alcohol at city parks), lawn games if you have them, and any cool fungi you've found lately!

Hey, maybe someone will bring a tasty lobster mushroom dish!?!

This event is hosted by our sister club, Coastal Shores and Spores Mycological Society and we wanted to share! Event pa...
07/11/2026

This event is hosted by our sister club, Coastal Shores and Spores Mycological Society and we wanted to share! Event page is Quinault Rainforest Mushroom Festival

Are you excited for the 3rd annual Quinault Rainforest Mushroom Festival on October 3rd?
The main event is, of course, FREE and includes Kid Zone, Mushroom Tastings, ID Station, Wild Mushroom Display, Vendors, Music, and Expert Speakers
But wait, there's more! We also offer a variety of forays and workshops including cooking with mushrooms, growing gourmet mushrooms, dyeing with color giving mushrooms, making tinctures from mushrooms, needle felting a mushroom, mushroom photography, and even a UV walk to experience the fluorescent fungi of the night!
Sign up soon, space is limited and is expected to fill to capacity.
Learn more at: https://www.shoresandspores.com/qrmushfest

Our parent organization, the North American Mycological Association , is hosting an upcoming webinar that we think you'd...
07/02/2026

Our parent organization, the North American Mycological Association , is hosting an upcoming webinar that we think you'd love!

Using iNaturalist to Make Fungi Collections
Presenters: Elora Adamson and Oliver Filialuna
Monday, July 27, 2026
8PM Eastern | 7PM Central | 6PM Mountain | 5PM Pacific

Using iNaturalist to Make Fungi Collections

This workshop will focus on using iNaturalist to create high-quality fungal records that can support DNA sequencing and voucher specimen collections. Participants will learn the basics of using iNaturalist on both mobile devices and computers, along with tips and best practices for uploading observations. The workshop will also cover applications of iNaturalist specific to mycology. Finally, we'll discuss how participants at the upcoming YOOP Annual Foray can contribute to fungal diversity mapping in Michigan by documenting and collecting fungi with the support of iNaturalist during the event.

More Info & Registration
https://app.glueup.com/event/using-inaturalist-to-make-fungi-collections-185997/

06/03/2026

SSMC represent!!! Here's all of the folks (besides Kati and Rachel President) who traveled from Olympia to Manning Park for this fabulous fungal foray and feast! Thanks so much to our hosts this week - Vancouver Mycological Society and

06/02/2026

At least a dozen South Sound Mushroom Club members have traveled to B.C. Canada for 's regional foray and feast together with host club Vancouver Mycological Society! As we wait for tasty dinner we observe some neat Bryoria or Horse Hair Lichen growing in the trees above us.

Hey mushroom lovers, greetings from the South Sound Mushroom Club of Olympia, WA. Did you know our club is celebrating ...
05/30/2026

Hey mushroom lovers, greetings from the South Sound Mushroom Club of Olympia, WA. Did you know our club is celebrating 52 years of service this year, but our parent organization, North American Mycological Association , has been around since 1959! Wowie!
NAMA is holding a membership drive this month, and we can't think of a better organization to be a part of (except our club, of course, but we're biased). If you want to be a part of something bigger, we hope you consider giving NAMA a look. We asked some of our club members what they thought of NAMA, we're going to post some of their responses here over the next couple days.

Spotlight: Melissa
Melissa is our club's wonderful merchandise chair and previously served as club secretary. She's a familar face from all our monthly meetings, campouts, and other special events.

What she loves about NAMA:
"The NAMA regional forays are among the most rewarding aspects of membership for me. Exploring remote landscapes through direct field observation and study not only enriches our collective understanding of mycology, but also furthers the vital work of citizen science. "

In addition to NAMA's continential and regional forays, they produce a fantastic series of Webinars and publish the Mycophile Quarterly magazine and the peer-reviewed journal, McIlvainea. - All freely available to NAMA's members.

We hope you consider joining NAMA today, you can learn more at: https://namyco.org/membership-drive/

05/24/2026

SSMC Foray Chair Regina explains why we don't rely on Google Maps when driving to foraging locations.

Our May meeting is in just a few hours! Please join us tonight, Tuesday May 19th, 7PM. Presentation summary: Let’s myco-...
05/19/2026

Our May meeting is in just a few hours! Please join us tonight, Tuesday May 19th, 7PM.
Presentation summary: Let’s myco-talk about some mycotoxins! In this presentation, we will discuss a few of the lethal toxins that are found in some genera of mushrooms. Find out more about amatoxin’s physiological effects, follow a case study from subjects that consumed lethal mushrooms, and learn how to recognize potentially dangerous mushrooms in the wild.

About the presenter: Amelia Nora has been exploring the fungal kingdom since 2020, where it started as a way to become closer to the world around us– and as a solid way to get something tasty while avoiding people at a grocery store. While working in public health, Amelia has been able to spend time studying mycotoxins and presenting to her colleagues. She originally grew up in the Midwest and had been part of the Minnesota Mycological Society for 3 years. When she moved to the PNW in 2023, she was lucky enough to find South Sound Mushroom Club where she has settled in as the Outreach Chair.

Free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:45PM
Capital Vision Church, 1775 Yew Ave NE, Olympia, WA 98506

Club members have the added option of watching at home via zoom. Not a member yet? Consider joining officially to gain access to all our member exclusive events and content.

Address

Olympia, WA
98506

Opening Hours

Friday 5pm - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

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