Calendar and Upcoming Events
Alissa Allen of Mycopigments
Come join us in welcoming Alissa Allen of Mycopigments for SOMA’s general meeting - open to all!
Potluck starts around 6pm and Alissa’s presentation will follow, around 630/645pm.
The Sebastopol Grange: 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Reclaiming Our Focus: Mushroom and Lichen Dyeing as an Antidote to Distraction
News alerts, advertisements and AI-driven content hijacks our attention, leaving some of us overwhelmed and reactive. But we don’t have to live in a constant state of distraction! This talk explores how replacing digital overwhelm with hands-on, nature-based learning helps us to restore balance and focus so we can be present for what matters most.
Alissa Allen is a naturalist and textile artist based in Washington state and is the founder of Mycopigments. She is widely known for sharing her love for mushroom and lichen dyes through her in-person workshops and international public outreach platform, Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United.
Alissa is committed to advancing the art, science and craft of mushroom and lichen dyeing as a means of forging bonds between individuals and the places they love. Her teaching approach draws inspiration from mentor Dorothy Beebee, following the tradition of Miriam Rice. Her workshops are designed to be accessible to individuals of all skill levels, providing a solid foundation for beginners while emphasizing the significance of curiosity and experimentation for all in their journey of discovery. By focusing on regional fungal dye palettes, small-scale applications and the open exchange of ideas, Alissa encourages each student to forge deeper connections with the natural environments around them and with one another. She prompts students to reflect on their ecological footprint while modeling conscientious ethical harvesting guidelines.
Alissa's mentorship has reached tens of thousands of students worldwide through her international workshops and lectures and her no-cost public outreach platform, Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United, which has over 46,000 members. Her expertise is acknowledged in the book True Colors: World Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments by K. Recker (2019), where she is recognized as a master of her craft. In 2022, she was honored to host the 20th International Fungi and Fiber Symposium in Port Townsend, WA.
Currently, Alissa is expanding her studies abroad. For the past four years, she has partnered with The Fungivore, extending her outreach to include traditional foraging and textile artisan villages in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she is as much a student as a teacher. Alissa’s latest offering brought her all the way to the island of Gran Canaria as an instructor for the 21st International Fungi and Fiber Symposium.
Alissa believes that when you act with reciprocity, exchanging gifts from the wild for community care of wild spaces, there is hope for a healthier planet.
Zoom Link for remote viewing: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86864067457?pwd=WkovMVlkR3FEbjVCMjZWcWRkMW52Zz09
Meeting ID 868 6406 7457, Password: SOMA
And if the technology gods allow, we try to live-stream to the SOMA Facebook page which has recordings of past meetings. https://www.facebook.com/SOMAmushrooms.org
Dr. Gordon Walker’s Passport to Kingdom Fungi (+ Morels on the Mind)
Come join us for our last general meeting of the season as we get ready to go morel hunting! We’ll also be celebrating Dr. Gordon Walker’s new book: Passport to Kingdom Fungi!
Gordon is one of SOMA’s board members and our Scholarship Committee Chair, and he will present a fun and broad overview of the fungal kingdom, covering the incredible variety of forms, lifestyles and ecological niches they inhabit worldwide. He will also give tips for hunting morels in the mountains of California.
Potluck starts at 6pm. Announcements and the presentation will follow around 630/645pm.
Sebastopol Grange: 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Dr. Gordon Walker is an award-winning speaker, science communicator, published author, and social media star with over 3 million cumulative followers. He has a Ph.D in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis where he studied the microbial ecology of wine fermentations and yeast genetics. He is a passionate advocate for mushrooms, fungal conservation, and environmental sustainability. His new book "Passport to Kingdom Fungi" will fundamentally transform the way people learn about mushrooms and fungi, serving as the go-to resource for a whole new generation of mycophiles and people interested in foraging, food, and fermentation.
Zoom Link for remote viewing: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86864067457?pwd=WkovMVlkR3FEbjVCMjZWcWRkMW52Zz09
Meeting ID 868 6406 7457, Password: SOMA
And if the technology gods allow, we try to live-stream to the SOMA Facebook page which has recordings of past meetings. https://www.facebook.com/SOMAmushrooms.org
David Arora for our March General Meeting
David Arora’s Wheel of Fungi
Join us with the esteemed mycologist for a variety of mushroom-related topics across Asia, Africa, and California!
Mycologist David Arora is the author of the very popular mushroom guidebooks All that the Rain Promises and More as well as the epic and humorous tome Mushrooms Demystified. He has traveled across many continents photographing and studying mushrooms as well as the ethnomycological traditions and economies of diverse cultures. In addition to his books, Arora has also authored many articles on topics such as amateur/commercial mushroom hunting, the fungal economic development of rural communities, and some of the conflicts related to conservation that involve mushroom foraging.
Sebastopol Grange. Potluck at 6pm.
Presentation around 630/645pm.
Zoom Link for remote viewing: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86864067457?pwd=WkovMVlkR3FEbjVCMjZWcWRkMW52Zz09
Meeting ID 868 6406 7457, Password: SOMA
And if the technology gods allow, we try to live-stream to the SOMA Facebook page which has recordings of past meetings. https://www.facebook.com/SOMAmushrooms.org
Olga Tzogas, Greece (Zoom)
Zoom Link Here for 630pm, March 6th, 2025
For those of you who joined us in the Grange parking lot in February, here is a version of the presentation Olga would have shared that night under the dim hum of a streetlamp and among the din thump of the DJ’s beats: Olga Tzogas’s Mushrooms + Culture from Greece.
Read more here at Smugtown Mushrooms
Take a visual journey into the diverse and lush natural world of Greece. Ancient forests, traditional land-based living still exists, providing a rich culture weaved within nature itself. Connections to fungi are ever-present and they’re only gaining attention. Take a look into the relationships the locals have with certain species of mushrooms, plants & some of their associated recipes.
Registration opens for 3.22.25 @ Salt Point
This is our last Salt Point event of the season!
Registration for 3.22.25 opens March 1st at 930am: Here is the link, which will not work until the event is live.
SOMA Fungi & Potluck @ Salt Point State Park
SOMA Fungi & Potluck @ Salt Point State Park
Feb General Meeting: Mushrooms + Culture of Greece, by Olga from Smugtown Mushrooms (NY)
Olga will present Mushrooms + Culture from Greece with a cooking demo bonus!
Take a visual journey into the diverse and lush natural world of Greece. Ancient forests, traditional land-based living still exists, providing a rich culture weaved within nature itself. Connections to fungi are ever-present and they’re only gaining attention. Take a look into the relationships the locals have with certain species of mushrooms, plants & some of their associated recipes.
Where: Sebastopol Grange. Here is a zoom link if you’d like to join remotely.
6000 Sebastopol Ave, Hwy 12, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
When: Potluck at 6pm. Announcements at 630pm. 7pm Presentation.
Olga Tzogas started her love affair with Fungi and plants over 15 years ago, with the help and guidance of family, teachers and community. In 2011, Smugtown Mushrooms was started, which provides cultivation supplies to grow mushrooms, indoors or outdoors, for food or for medicine. Olga has taught hundreds of folks how to grow mushrooms, make medicine and learn about the glory of Fungi and the natural world. In collaborating with The Mycelium Underground, Olga helped create the New Moon Mycology Summit in 2018. She was also a core organizer for the 2016 Radical Mycology Convergence and the MycoSymbiotics Festival from 2015-2017. Annually, Olga returns to her ancestral homeland to guide small groups immersed in land based and traditional knowledge of the country of Greece, highlighting the flora and funga!
Zoom Meeting: SOMA’s Scholarship Recipients
SOMA Meeting: Scholarship Recipients Present Research Updates
Fungi @ Westminister Woods!
Register here through Humanitix.
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/gourmet/delicious snacks - food trades can earn mushroomy secrets, by the way.
With this particular offering, we are trying to fundraise to aid Westminister Woods and their microscopy lab upgrades for their annual 10,000+ visits from kids. Mycologize the youth! We did a similar event last year, and it was a success!
Where: Westminister Woods - 6510 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental, CA 95465
When: 930am arrival/parking. See link above for timeline of the day.
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 or other sick-making organisms and more natural wonders of the world that you may or may not enjoy.
Registration opens for Salt Point (2.22.25)
Registration for 2.22.25 opens Feb 1st at 930am: Here is the link, which will not work until it is live.
SOMA Holiday Dinner & Scholarship Fundraiser
Greetings SOMA community!
Please join us for our annual holiday fundraising dinner, an evening of fine food and mushroomy friends! The kitchen crew, led by Jennifer Levine, will begin serving around 6:15pm (menu below.)
We have a few NEW tickets options and are doing things differently this year, please read on!
Potluck appetizers will be served at 5:15/5:30pm. There will be dishes that are vegan and gluten free, so everyone can enjoy the feast!
Register here through Humanitix.
Date/Time: 515pm on Sunday, December 15th, 2024
Where: Sebastopol Grange. 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol CA 95472
Cost: Work-trade - $200 VIP - See below.
And all of our events have an additional donation option for more scholarships and fungal DNA sequencing!
Please select your ticket based on which role you would like to fill - this is a community effort and mycology fundraiser!
If you are bringing a dish, please plan for 15-20++ servings (we will have 45-60 people) and arrive at 515pm for appetizers!
TICKET CHOICES:
KITCHEN Work-Trade:
There are 8 tickets available for kitchen volunteers who want to work-trade for dinner.
Please be in touch with Jen to arrive on time, usually around 12pm.
We prefer those with kitchen experience and/or a necessary willingness to be directed by the chef. This can be a great learning experience and you will see how to prep for a dinner party, learn about mushroom cleaning, cooking, etc!
SETUP + Appetizer/Desssert:
There are 3 tickets available for those who wish to help Setup AND bring an Appetizer (tables, chairs, decorations, etc.)
Please arrive at 430pm.
There are 3 tickets available for those who wish to help Setup AND bring a Dessert (tables, chairs, decorations, etc.)
Please arrive at 430pm.
CLEAN UP + Appetizer/Dessert:
There are 5 tickets available for those who wish to help with Clean Up AND bring an Appetizer (dishes, tables, chairs, etc.)
Please plan to stay 30 minutes afterwards.
There are 5 tickets available for those who wish to help with Clean Up AND bring a Dessert (dishes, tables, chairs, etc.)
Please plan to stay 30 minutes afterwards.
NEW: No cooking asked (but welcome):
There are 28 tickets available for those who simply want to attend (you may bring a dish if you would like!)
NEW - There are 8 VIP tickets available for those who wish to additionally support our mission and this option includes a new and signed copy of Siegel & Schwarz's Mushrooms of Cascadia and perhaps some wine and/or a surprise from the SOMA Store!
2024 MENU:
- Pork Loin Roast (GF) with Mixed Mycopia Mushroom Gravy
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes (GF)
- Sautéed Mixed Greens & Maitake (V/GF)
- Roasted Mixed Squash & Candy Caps (V/GF)
- Beet Salad, Apples, Walnuts, Balsamic & optional Goat Cheese (GF/V + cheese option)
V/GF Entree Option - please let us know if you want/need this when you purchase your ticket!
- Roasted Portobello Cap & Wild Rice, Dried Cranberries & Walnuts with Mixed Mycopia Mushroom Gravy
Registration for Dec 21st SPSP & SOMA Camp Schedule TBD
Registration for Dec 21st opens at 930am on Dec 1st.
Register here for Salt Point Mushroom Outing.
We are also trying to have the SOMA Camp 2025 class schedule launched by today!
SOMA Camp Registration Opens!
SOMA Camp Registration Opens! Happy National Mushroom Day
Tour of Mycopia Mushroom Farm
Join board member and Director of Sales and Marketing for Mycopia Mushrooms, Justin Reyes, for a tour of our local, state of the art mushroom farm in Sebastopol, CA.
