About the Wisconsin Mycological Society...
We work together to provide mycological education, celebration, and community. Our society covers community science, foraging, cooking/preservation, home cultivation, ecological awareness, artistic endeavors and more.
Anyone can be a member of the Wisconsin Mycological Society
WMS members receive our newsletter, notices of all mushroom hunting forays, any dinners, meetings, online and in-person lectures, workshops, and socials. We are a non-profit organization supported by members as volunteers and our volunteer board is elected by the membership. Our dues go toward events for members, honoraria for foray leaders, speakers, and toward the development of mycology in our state.
Anyone can be a member of the Wisconsin Mycological Society
WMS members receive our newsletter, notices of all mushroom hunting forays, any dinners, meetings, online and in-person lectures, workshops, and socials. We are a non-profit organization supported by members as volunteers and our volunteer board is elected by the membership. Our dues go toward events for members, honoraria for foray leaders, speakers, and toward the development of mycology in our state.
What is a foray?
Get to know fungi by attending one of our many forays. A foray is a walk in nature led by one of our seasoned members. Collect fungi with us and learn their names and their roles in nature.
We have two kinds of forays: weekend-long "Retreat Forays" and single day "Day-out" Forays.
All our day-out forays are free to members and your guests, and certain WMS day-out forays may be entirely open to the public. A day-out foray is any foray where we go to a site for two to three hours with foray leaders. Retreat forays are multiple days long and often include special events like cooking demos, workshops and live presentations along with many forays into the woods.
Our Retreat Forays Require Sign up!
Members receive the opportunity to sign up first, followed by public postings.
WMS Retreat foray dates for 2025:
Hiles Foray (Hiles, WI) - July 17-20
Rustic Camping Foray (Bayfield, WI) - August 7-10
Tri-County Foray (Cumberland, WI) - August 28-31
Northwoods Foray (Cable, WI) - September 4-7
See our Events page for more WMS events! We also list key events by the North American Mycological Association and regional Wisconsin mushroom groups.
We are also very excited about the Mycological Society of America (MSA) annual meeting that will be hosted in our very own state this year!
MSA 2025 will be at a venue in Madison, WI from June 28 to July 2nd.
This is a conference of academic mycology. All MSA members are welcome and anyone who wants to sign up for MSA membership may do so, no matter your educational background. At the meeting, there will be a foray into some local woods, catering, a silent auction and many fascinating presentations and poster sessions on topics in mycological research.
A basket brimming with porcini (Boletus edulis) and chanterelles picked in Bayfield County WI - Photo credit: Arne Martinson
"Lobster Mushrooms" - Hypomyces lactifluorum on Lactifluus species - on the flat iron griddle over a campfire at our Rustic Camping retreat in Bayfield WI - photo credit Jessica Wolff
Want to get started learning more about mushrooms and mycology from home?
Join our iNaturalist projects!
No matter when you join a project, your fungi observations on iNaturalist from that year will automatically add themselves to the project! The date is "date of observation" not the date you upload. This means if you add a mushroom you saw in 2020, if you have joined our 2020 project the observation will add itself there.
Browsing all past years is very fun and a great way to learn, too!
For even more educational resources, check out our "Myco Links" page!
Wisconsin Wild Mushroom Identification Class
Our Society has developed a Wisconsin Wild Mushroom Identification Class at the request of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WI-DATCP).
You can also read more about it on the registration page.
All changes to the state law around the sale of wild foraged, fresh mushroom sales to restaurants and grocery stores began January 1, 2024.
Click here for our posts on Facebook
Members receive links to Zoom and details of in-person events by email
If you are missing emails from us...
check your spam folder! And unmark them as spam!
If WMS emails are still missing, contact us.
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Wisconsin Mycological Society is on YouTube!
Enjoy our videos at the channel, here & contact us to propose your own video topics!
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Meet your Volunteer
Board of Directors
click here
Emerging hexagonal polypore, Neofavolus alveolaris, by Mariah Rogers.
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Common Bird's Nest Fungi, Crucibulum laeve, by Andrew Khitsun
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If You Suspect a Poisoning
If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, contact a physician, the closest hospital ER, poison control center, or dial 911, depending on the severity of the reaction. US Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has information that may also be of help. Click here. We do not ID mushrooms through this website.
If you are in need of an ID consider uploading quality photos with multiple views of your specimen and descriptions of your find to Mushroom Observer or iNaturalist including our projects or post in Wild Food Wisconsin or Mushroom Identification Group. If you contact us and provide a way to get back to you, we may be able to provide suggestions for more identification resources you can use. You are always responsible for your own decisions taken on the basis of identification resources. |
Wisconsin Mycological Society
Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) is dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi throughout the state of Wisconsin. Education, safety, sustainability, community, and connecting with nature are our goals.
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