About the Western

Pennsylvania
Mushroom Club
laetiporus sulphureus

lentinula edodes

pholiota squarrosa

lentinus torulosus

The Western Pennsylvania

Mushroom Club (WPMC)
was created to promote the
enjoyment, study, and exchange
of information about wild
mushrooms. Anyone who has
an interest in wild mushrooms is
welcome to become a member.
Activities include regular
meetings, projects centered on
mushrooms, walks and forays.
The WPMC is a nonprofit
organization whose main
objectives are the sharing of
ideas, experiences, knowledge
and common interests regarding
fungi; to furnish mycological
information and educational
materials to those who wish to
increase their knowledge about
mushrooms; and to promote
interest in mycology and
mycophagy.
photos: John Plischke III and Martha Wasik

chlorophyllum olivieri

Western
Pennsylvania
Mushroom
Club

For more club information,

meetings, walks, and foray dates,
or to join, visit our website at
www.wpaMushroomClub.org or
contact@wpaMushroomClub.org

Western
Pennsylvania
Mushroom
Club

Membership benefits include opportunities

to join in mushroom forays and walks, attend
informative lectures, identify wild mushrooms,
share mushroom recipes and learn more
about a fascinating part of the natural world.

cover:
below: mycena leaiana

Never eat a wild mushroom without

being 100% sure of its identity.
POISON CONTROL CENTER:
1-800-222-1222
cantharellus cibarius

wpamushroomclub.org

WPMC Goals

Why Mushrooms

Provide organized walks and forays

Aside from the display in the grocery store, what do

you know about mushrooms?

Teach scientific methods of wild

mushroom identification
Explore various art forms including
photography, dyeing, and papermaking with mushrooms
Share mushroom recipes
Educate members and the public
about the many aspects of wild
mushrooms

Mushrooms are unique. They are neither animal or

plant, they are in a Kingdom of their own called fungi.
True fungi are what we all know as mushrooms. The
part we see is the fruit of the mycelium that grows
underground. The main role of fungi and mushrooms is
to break down organic matter.
The purpose of the Mushroom Club is to help us
understand these complicated organisms, not just for
culinary purposes, but because they are a part of our
world. For thousands of years, mushrooms have not
only been used as food, medicine and dyes, but have
benefited us in many ways.

Become a Member
Membership is open to all. Benefits include:
Walks: Members have the opportunity throughout
the year to attend walks and forays to collect, identify
and photograph wild mushrooms.
Newsletters: The WPMC Newsletter includes
club news and information on identification, up-coming
events, and recipes.
Club Meetings: The WPMC meets at Beechwood
Farms Nature Reserve (aswp.org) home of the
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.

In September, mushroom enthusiasts gather from

across the United States for a day-long mushroom
extravaganza. The event is led by a team of experts
who help identify mushrooms that are collected
throughout the day.
Guided morning and afternoon walks are followed
by speakers and cooking demonstrations. The
clubs mushroom feast in the late afternoon is a
highlight of the foray.
The Foray is named for Gary Lincoff, the world
famous mushroom expert and author of the
Audubon Society Field Guide to North American
Mushrooms, and many other books and
publications about mushrooms and foraging.

wpamushroomclub.org

morchella deliciosa
(name)

The
Gary Lincoff Mid-Atlantic
Mushroom Foray

amanita muscaria

(name)

boletus subcaerulescens

pleurotus djamor