Vancouver Mycological Society

Monthly Meeting/ Foray with Leah Mycelia
2025-09-09 11:00 - 22:00 (America/Vancouver)
ID Walk at Pacific Spirit Park with Leah Mycelia
September 9th @ 11 am
Next week, before our monthly meeting, we will be having a guided walk in the forest to look at the fungi of Pacific Spirit Park, which is home to a vast and diverse fungal community. Our special guest mycologist, Leah Bendlin will help to identify the specimens we encounter and talk about the fungal associations within our local ecosystem.
Please join us at the parking area (4915 W 16th Ave) at 11 am sharp on Tuesday. The walk will be on the paths only and solely for educational purposes, leaving as little impact on the public space as possible. Feel free to bring your family, friends, kids, and leashed dogs. You don’t wanna miss out on this!
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Correction for our September 9th meeting!
Our speaker, Leah Bendlin will be presenting a talk on mycoheterotrophic plants instead of common Fall fungi. Not to worry! We will have plenty of opportunities to learn about Fall fungi in our upcoming meetings. Talk description:
Marvelous Mycoheterotrophs: The Beauty and Science of Floral-Fungal Freeloaders
If you’ve ever been fascinated by a waxy, alien looking plant without green parts in the woods that doesn’t even seem like it should be real, you may have been enchanted by a marvelous mycoheterotroph! In this talk, we’ll discuss the biology and associations of these strange looking plants that depend upon fungi for survival, as well as some of the scientific discoveries that lead to the current understanding of how they function. Leah will also help you get to know and recognize some local species and learn how they might help us in successful mushroom hunting!
For more information on Tuesday’s talk, please see our homepage!
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Announcing MycoMap BC!
In collaboration with other naturalist societies across the province, the VMS is pleased to announce the launch of a new citizen science project for BC slime molds and fungi. MycoMap BC is a project aimed at documenting fungal biodiversity in British Columbia in partnership with Mycota Lab. This initiative will allow free, year-round DNA sequencing for mushroom and slime mould collections available to anyone in BC. Your contributions will help us better understand the unique biodiversity of our province.
How to Participate
We invite mushroom enthusiasts, backyard collectors, and mycologists to help us collect thousands of specimens from all regions of BC. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
– A collection box
– An iNaturalist account and a camera or phone
– A food dehydrator
Once your collections are dried, you’ll ship them to our Victoria, BC collection point. We are currently accepting all collections made in 2025.
For detailed protocols, FAQs, and shipping instructions, please visit MycoMapBC.org You can also find a link to our iNaturalist project and a form to receive the mailing address for your specimens.
Launch Event
Join us for a virtual launch event and celebration on September 16th at 7 PM via Zoom. The event will feature guest speakers including Stephen Russell of Mycota Lab and Andy Mackinnon and Kem Luther, authors of Mushrooms of BC. They will discuss the importance of DNA sequencing, followed by an overview of the collection protocol. There will also be a Q&A session.
Register for the event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/l0L8ztPTQjGI4cvxq17-fA
We will also be hosting an online mycoblitz from September 17th-24th in hopes of hitting our first 1000 specimens! Join our iNaturalist project (linked on website below), and start making collections to join our leaderboard.
Project Support & Contact
This project is supported by the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society, the BC Biodiversity Program, the Metchosin Foundation, Whistler Naturalists, SERAL (Society for Education, Research and Arts on the Land), and the Vancouver Mycological Society.
For any questions or to offer support, please contact project coordinators Elora Adamson (elora.adamson@svims.club) or Ann McCall (ann.mccall@svims.club).

Manning Park Foray
2025-09-12 17:00 - 2025-09-14 12:00
Hi folks! We are excited to officially announce that the VMS will be returning to Manning Park once again for our annual weekend excursion from September 12-14, 2025.
We’d love for you to be there! We will have lots of fun walks, talks, and bonding with your fellow fungi enthusiasts! Think of it as Mushroom Summer camp.
The Last Resort Lodge in Manning Park boasts dorm-style shared accommodations for up to 50 people, and comes with amenities like shared washrooms, a communal fire pit, a dining and lounge area, access to pool and sauna facilities, and an outdoor picnic area.
The VMS will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks and refreshments.
We will be arriving at the lodge Friday evening and returning home Sunday afternoon.
Please note that collecting of fungi within Manning is only for scientific purposes and not for consumption or dyes (unless folks choose to gather on their own outside the park).
Pricing:
Tickets are on sale NOW and likely to sell out, so act fast!
Admission: $250 pp
We only take e-transfer, please be ready to send one with your name in the message once you’ve submitted the form.
The fees cover 6 meals, accommodation for 2 nights, walks with expert mycologists, and memories to last a lifetime!
For insurance reasons, all attendees must be valid VMS members (if you are receiving this email, you are a member). To sign up or renew, please visit our website
We are also offering 3 cost-reduced volunteer tickets for those who are interested in helping us serve meals and clean. Please email president@vanmyco.com for more info (first come first serve)
Accessibility:
Most dorms are located on the second floor, with 2 large rooms at ground level. There is a 6″ concrete lip to get through the front door of the lodge. There are no private rooms in the lodge and a majority of the beds are bunk beds. The walks will be of varying length and difficulty and done in subgroups. Dogs are not allowed in the lodging area.
REGISTRATION:
If you would like to attend, please fill out the form below and send payment and we will send you a confirmation of your spot.
https://forms.gle/6SpBQE9EM1LBpd8a6
For any questions, concerns, or inquiries please email foray@vanmyco.com. Thank you!
