Turnagain Arm Mycological Society
2026
Mycologists and
Workshop Presenters
Steve Trudell
Visiting Mycologist
Dr. Steve Trudell is an affiliate curator in the Burke Museum Herbarium at the University of Washington. He has been photographing and identifying mushrooms and studying their ecology for nearly 50 years. Steve serves on the editorial boards of, and has written for, several mycological publications, and frequently serves as foray mycologist or invited lecturer for mycological societies and other nature groups, including 14 Girdwood Fungus Fairs. He is the author of Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest and co-author of Mushrooms of Alaska and Mushrooms of the National Forests in Alaska. In 2014, he received the North American Mycological Association’s Award for Contributions to Amateur Mycology. With degrees in geology and forest ecosystems analysis, Steve has taught mycology and other environmental science courses at the University of Washington, The Evergreen State College, and other institutions. His research interests include mycorrhizal ecology and the roles of fungi in forest nutrient cycling.
Kate Mohatt
TAMS Mycologist
Kate Mohatt is a vegetation ecologist for the Chugach National Forest. She started and has organized the Girdwood Fungus Fair since 2008. She has been collecting fungi in Alaska since 2006 and co-authored the 2025 Mushrooms of Alaska field guide with Steve Trudell and Noah Siegel. She is the founder and president of the Turnagain Arm Mycological Society.
Noah Siegel
Visiting Mycologist
Noah’s field mycology skills are extensive – he has spent over three decades seeking, photographing, identifying, and furthering his knowledge about all aspects of macrofungi. He has hunted for mushrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as on multiple expeditions to New Zealand and Australia and Cameroon. He is one of the premier mushroom photographers in the nation, having won numerous awards from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) photography contest. His technique and attention to detail are unrivaled, arising from a philosophy of maximizing utility for identification purposes while maintaining a high degree of aesthetic appeal. His photographs have appeared on the covers and have been featured in articles of multiple issues of FUNGI Magazine, the primary mushroom enthusiast magazines in the United States, numerous mushroom books, as well as many club publications.He co-authored, Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, a comprehensive guide for the northern California coast, a Field Guide to the Rare Fungi of California's National Forests, Mushrooms of Cascadia, and Mushrooms of Alaska field guides. Noah travels and lectures extensively across America, following the mushrooms from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.
Joseph Zapotosky
Visiting Mycologist
An amateur Mycologist, Joe makes the journey to Girdwood from Kingston, WA. He is currently the Vice President of one of the largest Mycological Societies in North America (PSMS), and a member of the Pacific Northwest Key Council. Never missing the opportunity to take a walk in the woods – he leads forays, teaches cultivation classes, and lends a hand with microscopy workshops whenever he can.
Far North Fungi
Workshop Presenters
Gabe and Allison started their gourmet mushroom business Far North Fungi in 2016, but have been obsessed with mushrooms far before that. . Genetics, foraging, mycomaterials, farming and beyond, they have a breadth of knowledge spanning numerous myco-fields. Join them in either their cultivation or tincture workshops to grow your own mushrooms, make your own tincture and learn how fungi can be incorporated into a sustainable future.
Howard Earl
Amateur Naturalist & Lichen Enthusiast
Howard has been exploring the natural world for as long as he can remember. A longtime Girdwood resident and avid mycophile, he recently fell under the spell of lichens—the cryptic, resilient, and often-overlooked organisms that cover roughly 8% of Earth’s land surface. Most evenings and weekends, he can be found hiking, skiing, and exploring the upper Girdwood Valley. Endlessly curious and rarely without a question, Howard remains captivated by the beauty, complexity, and mystery of the living world.
Teresa Paquet
Workshop Presenter
Teresa is a fungus dye hobbyist who was first introduced to dyeing with mushrooms in 2013 and has since attended many dye workshops at myco-events across the west coast since. "I enjoy the process and the results, which are typically a surprise. You never know what you are going to get!”. She is a member of the Turnagain Arm Mycological Society and has assisted with and presented dye workshops held at the Fungus Fair over the last decade.
Girdwood Brewing Company
Workshop Presenters
Rory and Brett Marenco the brew engineers at the Girdwood Brewing Company will be sharing their knowledge of fermenting during a new in 2024 Fermentation workshop.
Gabriel
Foray Leader
Gabriel is co-president and a founding member of the Turnagain Arm Mycological Society. He was inspired to learn as much as he could about mushrooms after watching the “Know Your Mushrooms” movie when he was 3. He has been leading forays at both the Girdwood and Cordova fungus festivals for 7 years, and is much more interested in finding cool mushrooms than eating them! Recently he has completed 2 upper level courses on Fungi of the Sierra Nevada with Dr Brian Perry of San Francisco State University.
Ellen Twiname
Guest Speaker
Ellen’s prestigious credentials include hanging out with mycologists, assisting with gathering mushrooms, vacuuming the floor at the end of each Fungus Fair, and successfully serving Beef Wellington with zero fatalities.
Shannon Adams
Visiting Mycologists
Shannon Adams is a Seattle based amateur mycologist specializing in the family Cortinariaceae. She is an iNaturalist curator with over 4,200 observations and a focus on Pacific Northwest taxonomy, DNA barcoding, and field identification. Her recent work includes contributions to a Calonarius revision published in Mycologica in May 2026 and forthcoming work on western North American Defibulati. She serves on the board of Trustees of the Puget Sound Mycological Society and is active in the NAMA DNAMA Committee. By day she is a Staff at UX Researcher at Meta. She forages and hikes 3 seasons a year in Washington and makes occasional trips internationally to learn more about Cortinarius diversity.
