Earthstar Examiner - May 2023

Spring Greetings
By Israel Tockman
Happy spring to you all! I hope this edition of the newsletter finds you out on the land in search of fungi-or at least prepping your foray pants with permethrin and readying your collection bags, sharpening your mushroom knives, greasing up your boots and tapping last year’s fungal bits from your baskets to make way for new specimens.

The winter wasn’t too much of a bear, but it’s still a relief to see redbuds glowing on the edge of a woodland and to watch the rivers swell. I’ve not been out in the woods, but I hear that the first morels are popping! Here’s Maxine with her first baby black morel of the year!
I don’t know about you, but I’m doing a rain dance and hoping for a much wetter summer than we had last year. I’ll be participating in a couple of forays, one in Forest Park’s Kennedy Forest on August 12th and one at LaBarque Creek Conservation Area on September 17th. I hope to see some of you there!
This edition of the Earthstar brings you a guide to some of the season’s MOMS forays, a story about a friendship forged in the joy of fungal adventure, an update from the chair of MOMS’ speaking engagement committee, another installment of the Myce’s Inheritance and a bright, springtime recipe from Melissa Clark.
Finally, we are always on the lookout for newsletter contributors! If you have stories or photos to share that are relevant to Kingdom Fungi, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We especially need articles on research and the science of mycology.
Adventure Friends
Story and photos by Stephanie Keil and Bethany Milligan
The love of mushrooms has always been in my heart, but really started showing in 2013. I had just gotten back from a most wonderful trip to Hawaii that involved lots of communing with nature. The trip reinvigorated my love of being outside, and I needed more! Shortly after, my good friend Bethany and I decided to join MOMS. I remember the first class so well. Maxine was talking and signing her book. Bethany and I are both pretty quiet, so we really didn't talk to anyone. We did each get a book signed from Maxine. From there, we took a few classes together and brought that knowledge to the woods with us. We labeled our outings as "The Adventures of Bethany and Stephanie," something we still do today.

A year or so after joining the club, spring of 2014, Bethany and I took one last adventure before she moved to Colorado. We drove down to Pacific, MO. The drive was gorgeous with just the right amount of clouds in the sky. We were still pretty new at foraging, so we didn't know exactly where to look. We covered plenty of ground that day. Pretty early on, we found a false morel. It was exciting enough to be able to spot and identify a mushroom.

Exciting, but still not what we were looking for. After hours of hiking around staring at the ground, we finally found the most beautiful morels! We barely believed our eyes. Once we found the first, we noticed them all around us. It was so satisfying. To this day they are still the best-looking morels I have ever found. I have gone back to that spot to look on several occasions since, but have not found any. I do know it is a very popular spot and have run into other mushroom hunters while searching there.
Once Bethany moved to Colorado, I was alone in the club. It was easy to find someone to come with me to the winter luncheons, but I wanted to be more involved. I did a few select things with MOMS over the next few years. I was so shy, but kept with it. Look at me now! I have found so many great people in MOMS, and love learning from other members. I loved going to talks (as long as I wasn't the one talking.) When I finally got a chance to chat with Maxine, I let her know I wanted to get more involved. She nominated me to be on the board in 2019. I took the gig and was so excited to be more involved. Then somehow it was a year later, and I was nominated to be president.
2020 was a tough year to take over. I was so amped to have a great start to the season with MOMS, then the world shut down. We had to cancel everything in person. This included NAMA, which was supposed to be held in Missouri that year. We adjusted as well as we could. We did zoom presentations, but of course it just wasn't the same. MOMS is about the people. We all missed the connection, but at least the woods were still there to meander in. Those little moments of normal helped us all get through.
Finally, 2021 came and the world started to open back up. That August I attended NAMA in Colorado. Bethany and I found our adventure time again. We had a blast! I picked her up from Fort Collins and headed into the mountains. We found tons of hawk's wings, were gifted boletes & found a little shop selling wild mushrooms. We ate so well that weekend! There was something magical about walking through burn areas and seeing fields of yellow arnica. We left the woods with our faces covered in soot and smiles.

2022 NAMA was to be held in Missouri and oh, was it dry. But we still managed to find a lot of species. Bethany found her way to Missouri to join me at MO-NAMA. The seed ticks kept us from venturing too far into the woods, but there was so much else to do. We found black trumpets, and I found one of the unknown species of the weekend. We harvested persimmons and learned how to use the seeds to predict winters. We both even talked to some new people! The adventures of Bethany and Stephany probably need to be a part of NAMA from here on out.

MOMS forays - 2023
By Peggy Green
We’ve got lots of exciting forays lined up for 2023 and we’re adding more as we speak! MOMS is a statewide organization and we’re trying to offer more forays in areas outside of St. Louis. The various chapters have really stepped up their game and are hosting a record number of forays this year:
- Kansas City - 9
- Springfield - 5
- Mid Missouri - 6
- Southeast Missouri (SEMO) - 3
- St Louis - 14
We have several weekend forays scheduled that you might want to put on your 2023 calendars.
Horn of Plenty of Chanterelles Camping Weekend
June 30 – July 2
Hosted by SEMO
Wappapello Army National Guard Training Site 461, County Rd 517, Wappapello, MO
Sweat-n Chanterelles
July 15 – 17
Hosted by STL
Meramec State Park, Sullivan, MO
Brad’s Fall Foray
October 5 – 8
Hosted by SEMO
S-F Scout Ranch, 120 Hwy 67, Farmington, MO
The Hawnting
October 27 - 29
Hosted by STL
Hawn State Park, 12096 Park Dr, Ste. Genevieve, MO
Keep checking the MOMS event calendar Missouri Mycological Society (momyco.org) to see the latest foray schedule. Contact Peggy Green at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you’re interested in leading a 2023 foray.
A Note from Our Speaking Engagement Chair
By Mike Snyder
Hello Missouri mushroom lovers! I hope you found ALL the morels and none of your honey holes were discovered or pilfered.
As you are likely aware, we are in the midst of a major upswing in interest of all things fungi - the “shroom boom”, if you will. As the mission of MOMS is to spread the word about the fabulous world of mushrooms, this has led to our club fielding a lot of requests for mushroom-related speakers. As the head of the Speaking Engagement Committee, it is my job to fill these requests and I have had a difficult time finding enough people around the state to do mushroom presentations. We are actively seeking mushroom people who are interested in presenting basic mushroom information to small groups of people. If you do not have a talk prepared already, we can provide you with a slideshow to present. If you are interested at all, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info or to get on the list of available speakers.
We are expecting the demand for forays to rise as well, so we need more people to lead some in each region of the state. We want to have forays going on every weekend throughout the season and we don’t have enough leaders to do so at this point. Please contact Peggy Green at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested or to find out more about what the job entails.
Thanks for reading and I hope you consider becoming part of the team!
Cook’s Corner
Butter-braised asparagus and oyster mushrooms with peas and tarragon
Recipe by Melissa Clark from The Essential New York Times Cookbook
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 7 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch-wide fan-shaped pieces (about 2 cups)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 ¼ -inch lengths
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
Instructions:
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch each of salt and pepper, stir to coat the mushrooms with butter, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the asparagus, scallions, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes if using pencil-thin asparagus, up to 7 minutes for jumbos, until the asparagus is al dente.
- Stir in the peas and tarragon; cover and cook for about 2 minutes longer, until the peas are heated through and the asparagus is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Melissa Clark’s website: https://www.melissaclark.net/
Buy The Essential New York Times Cookbook here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324002277
The Myce's Inheritance
Symbiotic Partnerships in Nature
By Joseph "Mycæl" Hafley

It seems that everywhere you look these days you can find examples of the "shroom boom". One ubiquitous example of this is the increasing popularity of cordyceps and other entomopathogenic fungi. Whether it be photographs of the many striking and at times shocking expressions of fruiting bodies sprouting from the heads and bodies of parasitized insect hosts, innovative cultivation methods of any scale, or even in pop culture like the hit HBO series The Last of Us and the videogame franchise it's based on. Many are understandably captivated by the bizarre and fascinating realm of cordyceps and other similar fungi, however, I find it to be only one vivid example of fungal symbiosis. As it happens, the examples of broad-spectrum fungal symbiosis are in fact evident everywhere if we know what to look for. So, let’s look a little closer, shall we?
Research has revealed some amazing partnerships in nature that are more ecologically mutualistic than the parasitic entomopathogenic species. I will briefly outline a few that I personally marvel at.
It is known that bears in the wild are prone to clawing and leaving large scars in the trunks of trees. In some places this has led to efforts by wildlife management agencies to increase bear-hunting permits to reduce the amount of tree damage which can lead to tree mortality. However, research shows that in some instances these bear markings provide an access point for many species of fungi to take hold and, in some cases, to spread from tree-to-tree using the bears’ claws and paw as a transmittal mechanism. Though interesting enough on its own, this may not be quite enough for most environmentally minded people to see as a valid cause to keep bear populations higher. This is where the amazing multifaceted benefits of fungi shine as they always seem to do once fully understood. Many of the species that grow from the claw scarring have been found to produce resinous droplets from their fruiting bodies through the process of guttation. These substances contain natural compounds that when harvested by bees can markedly decrease conditions that lead to wing deformity and other maladies that lead to death and hive collapse.
Another relatively recent study shows evidence that woodpeckers may intentionally transport fungal spores from tree-to-tree. The birds carry and then “plant” these spores by boring small "pilot holes" into the trees’ inner flesh. The fungus takes hold, weakens the wood, and the birds return and can bore deeper into the weakened wood to create cavities for nesting. This was an exciting discovery for me personally as several years ago (before reading about this study), I suggested this very possibility to a family member while walking through the wilderness and witnessing a woodpecker in action. The primary benefit of this partnership may be that it has a hand in helping the populations of several endangered species of woodpeckers displaced by deforestation adapt to nesting in tree species that may have previously proven difficult for them to bore into.
These are just a couple symbiotic partnerships in nature, and I encourage everyone to look beneath the surface and even find ways to help these partnerships thrive, thus becoming a part of the symbiosis yourselves.
MOMS Mushroom ID Classes
Have we got a deal for you!
As a member of MOMS you can go to all mushroom ID classes...FREE.
Check out the calendar on our website and sign up. After you sign up you will be registered and will get a notice a couple days before the class with the Zoom info. All classes are on Zoom. Here's the schedule:
10 Common Mushrooms of Missouri, Part 1: Thursday 6-29-23, 6:30
10 Common Mushrooms of Missouri, Part 2: Thursday 8-31-23, 6:30
10 Edible Mushrooms of Missouri: Thursday,10-26-23, 6:30
These classes are fun, and you can take them over and over...FREE. There is optional homework but its optional and valuable. Questions? Contact Maxine Stone, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Calendar:
To see the full calendar of events please click here: https://momyco.org/events/calendar
MOMS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
President, Stephanie Keil '25
Executive Secretary, Malissa Briggler '24
Recording Secretary, Carlos Harjes ’23
Treasurer, Ed Rothweil '24
Peggy Green '23
Maxine Stone '23
Brittany Martinez ’25
Crystal Wake '25
Trevor Rodgers '24
Mid-MO Chapter Officers:
President, Malissa Briggler
Secretary, Dana Drake
Springfield Chapter Officers:
President, Crystal Wake
Secretary, Barbara Kipfer
Kansas City Chapter Officers:
P resident, Brittany Martinez
Foray Chair, Ken Horky
SEMO Chapter Officers:
President, Dawn Lover
Committee Chairs:
Chief Mycologist, Dr. Andrew Methven
Chief Mycologist, Jay Justice
Bi-monthlies, Maxine Stone
Education, Maxine Stone
Foray Chair, Peggy Green
Incurable Epicureans, Linda Rolby
Membership, Penelope Woodhouse
Research, Carlos Harjes
Speaking Engagements, Maxine Stone
Toxicology, Ken Gilberg
SpeciesData Manager, Steven Franz
Communications:
Webmaster, Kent Lemp
Earthstar Editor, Israel Tockman
Earthstar Developer, Sabra Duffiney
