Mycology Weekend Workshop with Jay Justice

This is a unique opportunity to spend 3 days with mushroom expert Jay Justice. Through guided hikes and lessons, Jay will teach you techniques for identifying mushrooms. Meals are included, and there will be a special "mycocentric" dinner on Saturday! Stay overnight in one of our campsites, glampsite, or lodges.

Workshop schedule:

Friday, August 6, 2021

• 4-5PM - Arrive, settle in
• 5-6PM - Meet and mingle
• 6-7:30PM - Dinner
• 7:30-8:30PM - General overview on how to collect mushrooms/fungi, followed by and Q&A session

Saturday, August 7, 2021

• 8-9AM - Breakfast
• 9-10AM - Mycology lecture (info on some fungi we might find on the foray)
• 10AM-12PM - Mushroom hunting hike
• 12-12:30PM - Setting up the collected mushrooms/fungi for spore prints
• 12:30-1:30PM - Lunch
• 1:30-4PM - Mushroom identification with assistance from Jay and two others
• 4-5PM - Free time and/or more mushroom identification
• 5-6PM - Mushroom cooking demonstration by Jay Pitts
• 6-7:30PM - Mycocentric Dinner
• 7:30-8:30PM - Mycology lecture (review of collected fungi plus summer fungi we could have found)
• 8:30-10PM - optional night hike and mushroom hunt with UV light

Sunday, August 8, 2021

• 8-9AM - Breakfast
• 9AM-11PM - Mushroom hunting hike
• 11-12:30PM - Mushroom identification of recently found mushrooms/fungi
• 12:30-1:30PM - Lunch
• 1:30-2PM - Wrap up and departure

About the Instructor:

Jay Justice became enthralled with mushrooms and fungi while pursuing a graduate degree many years ago. After completing his graduate degree, Jay joined the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) in 1980. In 1982, he was instrumental in forming the Arkansas Mycological Society and participated in his first NAMA foray in 1985. He has been a prominent member of NAMA, and a well-known mycologist in the decades since. In 2011, Justice was the recipient of the Gary Lincoff Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology, an award that is given each year by NAMA to recognize service performed by selected amateur or professional mycologists. He has co-authored several research papers in mycological journals. Jay continues to serve as a lecturer and mushroom foray leader for mycological societies and mushroom clubs, particularly in the Southeast. He has recently co-authored the book Amanitas in North America, which was published in June of 2020.

Covid-19 Statement:

ONSC is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our staff and visitors. All ONSC staff are fully vaccinated. However, as many of our visitors are youth, ONSC staff and volunteers continue to maintain safety measures including the use of cloth face coverings while indoors, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and enhanced cleaning protocols.