I am first and foremost an educator. I have been teaching in higher education for 30 plus years.  I also have a deep passion for learning about mycology.

While my background is in design and art, as a child I grew up with parents who were avid bowhunters and mushroom hunters in every sense of the word.  As I grew older I had always wished they would have passed their knowledge down to me. 

So when I was asked (out of the blue) to help WMS with their technology, I gladly joined the cause. 

The Wisconsin Mycological Society has been around for a long time (records go back 40 years but there are stories of it being around much much longer) and throughout its existence its aim has been to educate people about mycology and I thought, “this is a perfect fit for me.”
 
Since joining WMS in 2015 I have rebuilt its website, edited and published its newsletter, produced and organized the Fungi Fair, headed up its social media effort and even  directed the design of its T-shirts,  When the Hiles foray lost its leadership and appeared like it would be no more I worked diligently to rebuild that foray.  

And when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I worked to bring our members back together safely online with lectures and Virtual Forays through the help of WMS members Leah and Mariah Rogers on iNaturalist.  I have worked closely with many of our board members to accomplish a great deal in the last few years and have seen our foray participation and membership more than double.

My vision for WMS is to create more events statewide and to work with state agencies with educational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens and WMS members.

I have recently completed a series of oil paintings entitled "The Forest Floor"
This is a  traveling exhibition  and was just  recently at NAMA in Colorado. The paintings are not for sale, but you can purchase prints as well as a bevy of other things Here. 
I  hope you enjoy the collection.


Endorsements
“Tess has been passionate about the success of WMS since I've met her. Maintaining our Website and Social Media pages, organizing the annual Fungi Fest and Winter Lecture Series, etc.. When most events were canceled due to COVID-19, Tess smoothly pivoted club meetings virtually to ZOOM, helped organize virtual forays via iNaturalist, and has kept the club alive where other club's have floundered. Her knowledge, tech skills and access to university resources in moving the club to a virtual format are unmatched among other board members. With projections that this pandemic will continue well into next year, I believe Tess is the best candidate for WMS President.” - Rose Tursi

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