If this shows as sold out, it is. Please refrain from emailing us asking if it is sold out. There is a waitlist option.

This event is different than our usual SPSP events in a number of ways including the location. Please read this entire description.

Dogs: Westminister Woods does not allow dogs. Please leave them at home or with a friendly dog-sitter.

No parking fees.

Important: by registering for this event, you are agreeing to the Liability Waiver. Please read and review.

You should also know that by joining us for this event you might be exposed to poison oak, ticks, mosquitoes, viruses and other sick-making organisms, and more natural wonders of the world that you may or may not enjoy.

We will not be having our typical potluck lunch, so please bring food/water to nourish yourself through the day. Your mushroom group leaders will also appreciate yummy and gourmet and delicious snacks - food bribes can earn mushroomy secrets, by the way.

With this particular offering, we are fundraising $1200 to aid Westminister Woods and their microscopy lab upgrades for their annual 10,000+ visits from kids of many ages.

For the "hike" (more like a partially sober or slightly deranged pacing while staring at the ground) consider bringing:

Stamina for 2-3 miles at a slow/medium pace over somewhat hilly terrain. The initial ascent is sort of steep.
- Rain/warm gear, layered clothing & sturdy hiking footwear, poles, etc. - Check the weather forecast!
- Water (reusable vessel preferred) & snacks. And extra snacks for your group leaders.
- A sense of adventure and curiosity!
- Maybe a hat and/or a walking stick
A basket, paper bag, small wax paper bags and/or a tackle box are helpful for separating different mushrooms, which is recommended for safe/easeful identification. Piling them all in one vessel is a rookie move.
Smart phone with GPS mapping apps (hike tracking apps like AllTrails, GAIA GPS, etc.), a compass app or an actual compass! Cell reception in the park is limited, so download apps/maps ahead of time.

We also recommend using iNaturalist (and we can teach you how!) to photograph mushrooms you find in-situ (before picking) because some mushrooms might be under-documented, rare or endangered. This is an easy way to contribute to community science. Check out the Fungal Diversity Survey & Mushroom Observer too.

Arriving/Parking at 9:25-9:40am:

Park and assemble at Westminister Woods parking area. Please carpool if possible.

*NOTE: the roads in Occidental are narrow. Please drive carefully!

At 9:45am:

SOMA staff/leaders will introduce themselves, maybe talk about what types of mushrooms are popping up, and some questions can be answered. We do our best to make this brief and get into the woods!

At 10am:

We will divide into groups and disperse to various, very secret locations within the area, hopefully to find wild mushrooms - no guarantees! But no matter what, you will hear some important mushrooming tips that you'll take with you forever or as long as you can remember.

At 12:45pm or so:

You might appreciate having a chair and or blankets during this time. Stay warm! This is an interactive show and tell session of fungal identification and interesting facts where we discuss some/all of the finds from the morning as well as identifying traits, uses, cooking, pigments, chemistry, etc! Questions are highly encouraged and some simply cannot be answered as of yet.

Contacts and questions:

Payments/Cancellations/General: Use the "contact the organizer" button to reach Ryath Fujita Beauchene, one of SOMA's Vice Presidents.
You can initiate your own refunds up to 1 day prior to the event for 95% of the cost.