Turnagain Arm Mycological Society

2026 Girdwood Fungus Fair Mycoblitz

FREE - All Week - Join anytime! 

Fun For The Whole Family

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Noon, Wednesday, September 9th through 6:00 pm on Sunday, September 13th.

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A mycoblitz is an intense, and usually time limited survey of all fungi in a given geographic area. Participants work to catalog as many species as they can from the survey area, during the survey time period. 

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Document what mushrooms and lichen are out during the 2026 Fungus Fair in the Girdwood and Anchorage area!

 

Last year, during the 2025 mycoblitz, 39 observers made 635 observations and identified 217 species. That was over 100 species more than were identified in the 2024 mycoblitz!

 

A 2026 Fungus Fair t-shirt will be given to the individual with the most confirmed species! You must be a member of the project for your observations to be included. Only one t-shirt per individual.

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Create an iNaturalist account HERE

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Add this mycoblitz project to your account in 2026!

• 6pm-8pm, *Workshop* ($20) Meet at the Girdwood Brewing Company

  • Fermentation (Must be 21 or older to attend, bring ID to Workshop) - Join us @Girdwood Brewing Company (GBC) to kick off the Girdwood Fungus Fair to learn about yeast & its role in the brewing process. GBC Brew Engineers Brett & Rory Marenco will be onsite to educate you on the yeasts they employ when brewing & discuss the intricacies of each strain while tasting the finished product - CRAFT BEER!

  • Class cost includes beer tasting & tour but class size is limited to the first 20 people to sign up.

  • Proceeds from the event will go to Turnagain Arm Mycological Society (TAMS) & Four Valleys Community School (FVCS).

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Schedule

• 9:30am-5:00pm *Fungus Displays, Talks, Information, Check-in* Free 

  • Located in the Girdwood Community Room

  • Check-in for Forays, Workshops, Demos

  • Fungus and Lichen Displays (Free)

  • Talks (Free) - see schedule below

  • Fungus Fair t-shirts, Books, Bags, Stickers and more!

  • Turnagain Arm Mycological Society Information

• 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 1:00pm *Forays* ($28)

  • Guided Mushroom Walks (with mycologists) - Guided mushroom walks with mycologists. After checking in, individuals meet their group 15 minutes beforehand in the foyer or outside the community room (as instructed at check-in). 

  • Each foray is limited to 15 participants. 

  • Foray Leaders:

    • Steve Trudell (10:00am) - Register here.

    • Noah Siegel (10:30am) - Register here.

    • Kate Mohatt (11:00am) - Register here.

    • Joe Zapotosky (11:30am) - Register here.

    • Adult Beginner Foray: Gabriel (1:00pm)- Register here.

• 10:00am-1:30pm, *Demo* ($65)

  • Mushrooms to Dye and Draw With - Dye 2 silk scarves with pigments derived purely from wild harvested mushrooms and lichens with Teresa Paquet.

  • Learn about using mushroom pigments to make crayons and watercolor paint for drawing.

  • Limited to 12 participants.

  • Register here.

• 11am- Noon, *Workshop* (Free BUT MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE)

  • Kids Library Event - Mushroom Masterpieces  Add some whimsy to your home or garden by painting a mushroom planter with us! We’ll provide the planter and painting supplies—just bring your creativity! Sponsored by Four Valleys Community School and Turnagain Arm Mycological Society. 

  • All children are welcome with adult supervision.

  • Limited to 20 participants.

  • Register here.

• 2:30pm-4:30pm, *Workshop* ($50)

  • Mushroom Cultivation - The owners of Far North Fungi will demonstrate how to successfully inoculate your own home cultivation kits to take home.

  • Limited to 30 participants. 

  • Register here.

• 1:30pm-4:30pm *Talks* Free Held in the Girdwood Community Room

  • 1:30pm “From Sauce Pan to Science: Taking the Next Step in your Fungal Adventure” Shannon Adams

  • 2:30pm “Mushrooms of Alaska” Noah Siegel

  • 3:30pm “Lichens of the Girdwood Valley” - Howard Earl

Schedule

• 9:30am-4:00pm *Fungus Displays, Talks, Information, Check-in* Free 

  • Located in the Girdwood Community Room

  • Check-in for Forays, Workshops, Demos

  • Fungus and Lichen Displays (Free)

  • Talks (Free) - see schedule below

  • Fungus Fair t-shirts, Books, Bags, Stickers and more!

  • Turnagain Arm Mycological Society Information

• 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 11:30am *Forays* ($28)

  • Guided Mushroom Walks (with mycologists) - Guided mushroom walks with mycologists. After checking in, individuals meet their group 15 minutes beforehand in the foyer or outside the community room (as instructed at check-in). 

  • Each foray is limited to 15 participants. 

  • Foray Leaders:

    • Steve Trudell (10:00am) 

    • Noah Siegel (10:30am) 

    • Joe Zapotosky (11:00am) 

    • Shannon Adams (11:30)

    • Kid's Foray: Gabriel (11:30am) 

• 9:30am-11:30am *Workshop * ($50)

  • Mushroom Cultivation - The owners of Far North Fungi will demonstrate how to successfully inoculate your own home cultivation kits to take home.

  • Limited to 30 participants. 

  • Register here.

• 12:00-2:00 pm *Workshop* ($55)

  • Tincture Making - The owners of Far North Fungi will be offering a mushroom tincture making class.

  • Limited to 30 participants.

  • Register here.

• 1:00pm-4:00pm *Talks* Free Held in the Girdwood Community Room

  • 1:00pm “Mushroom ID and Foraging Safely in Alaska” -Kate Mohatt

  • 2:00pm “Murder Mushroom: An intersection of mycology, true crime, and food porn” Ellen Twiname

  • 3:00pm “Mushroom Cultivation” - Far North Fungi