6:30 pm – OMS Mushroom Identification Session
If you have found mushrooms that are in good condition, wrap them in waxed paper, aluminum foil, or a put them in a paper bag and bring them (with a spore print, if possible). Bring your field guide to reference the mushrooms that are on display.

7:00 OMS Society Business: Announcements, Introductions, or Short Presentations

7:15 pm Presentation: Noah Siegel. Stop Walking on Truffles:  The Cryptic Life Underground.  

Stop Walking on Truffles:  The Cryptic Life Underground.   According to Noah, The Pacific Northwest has an amazing diversity of hypogeous fungi (truffles and false truffles). Although truffles are renowned for their culinary properties, very few species are highly prized edibles. This talk will highlight the diversity and beauty of our underground fungi and how to find and identify them.

Note: Before collecting truffles, please verify that it’s allowed in your area. For instance, truffle harvesting is prohibited in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

Noah Siegel has spent two decades seeking, photographing, identifying, and furthering his knowledge about all aspects of fungi. He has hunted mushrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as New Zealand and Australia. Noah’s passion for fungal photography shines through his technique and attention to detail and he’s won numerous awards from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) photography contest. His photos have been on the covers and in articles of many journals, books, and websites. He authored, along with Christian Schwarz, Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, a comprehensive guide for the northern California coast, and A field Guide to the Rare Fungi of California’s National Forests. While continuing to pursue fungal blooms across America, Noah is currently working on Mushrooms of Cascadia, a reference guide for Pacific Northwest fungi.