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• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    07 Dec 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    2 registrants

  Register

  
  

  Join us at Mount Rainier Nature Center at 10am to bring your mushroom samples or at 1pm to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars!

  Mount Rainier Nature Center is located at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier MD, 20712

  If you are bringing samples to us, please ensure that the samples have been properly documented on iNaturalist, and that each of your samples has a unique iNaturalist observation number by the time of your arrival. Follow the process below to make your observation:

  MAKING AN OBSERVATION

  PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE DETACHING!

  • Take more than one picture
  • Show where the fungus is  growing from (substrate)
  • • If attached to something living, identify as much as possible. Ex: conifer, deciduous, oak, american holly, etc.
  • Photograph the habit (growing alone, gregarious, in clusters, etc.)
  • Take a picture from the top

  DETACH

  • Take a picture of the underside
  • Cut through the spore producing surface and notice if there are changes in color or secretion of latex. If so annotate and photograph
  • Add any smell or bruising you observe in the notes section

  PREPARING SAMPLE FOR DNA EXTRACTION

  • Place the mushroom on a coffee filter, piece of paper, or wax bag
  • Write the voucher information: date of collection, location, name of collector, field ID (Russula, Bolete, Agaricus, etc) and iNaturalist observation number.
  • Place your sample inside its voucher bag in a dehydrator at 100° until it is dry as cardboard. The timing of his process will vary depending on the size of the mushroom.
  • • If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the mushroom in your oven using its lowest setting and leaving the door of the oven cracked with a clothespin. Check on this setting every hour to prevent burning or cooking the specimen.
  • Once the specimen has been dried, wait for it to cool to room temperature and place the voucher bag and the mushroom inside in a closed ziplock bag to prevent rehydration with humid air. 

  Once you have a dried specimen inside a bag labeled with your name, location, date of collection, iNaturalist observation number, and approximate ID, you are ready to bring the sample to us
  

  In the link below you’ll find the slideshow used for the training on how to make observations and how to label your sample bag to serve as a voucher as well.

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18N69qmR7zaUbveKunJVO6vcwY1hSQoYobPJFaUd2HDk/edit?usp=drivesdk
  

  We will receive your properly documented sample with our deepest gratitude 

  We are excited to see you there!

  -Serenella Linares, Programs Chair & Megan Romberg, Science Advisor
  The Mycological Association of Washington, Inc.

  Show details
• December Board Meeting

  • When
    14 Dec 2025
  •  
    4:00 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Location
    https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09

  Our quarter 4 board meeting: Agenda will be made available in the days before.  Presumably this will be an in person meeting.

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    25 Jan 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  Join us at Mount Rainier Nature Center at 10am to bring your mushroom samples or at 1pm to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars!

  Mount Rainier Nature Center is located at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier MD, 20712

  If you are bringing samples to us, please ensure that the samples have been properly documented on iNaturalist, and that each of your samples has a unique iNaturalist observation number by the time of your arrival. Follow the process below to make your observation:

  MAKING AN OBSERVATION

  PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE DETACHING!

  • Take more than one picture
  • Show where the fungus is  growing from (substrate)
  • • If attached to something living, identify as much as possible. Ex: conifer, deciduous, oak, american holly, etc.
  • Photograph the habit (growing alone, gregarious, in clusters, etc.)
  • Take a picture from the top

  DETACH

  • Take a picture of the underside
  • Cut through the spore producing surface and notice if there are changes in color or secretion of latex. If so annotate and photograph
  • Add any smell or bruising you observe in the notes section

  PREPARING SAMPLE FOR DNA EXTRACTION

  • Place the mushroom on a coffee filter, piece of paper, or wax bag
  • Write the voucher information: date of collection, location, name of collector, field ID (Russula, Bolete, Agaricus, etc) and iNaturalist observation number.
  • Place your sample inside its voucher bag in a dehydrator at 100° until it is dry as cardboard. The timing of his process will vary depending on the size of the mushroom.
  • • If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the mushroom in your oven using its lowest setting and leaving the door of the oven cracked with a clothespin. Check on this setting every hour to prevent burning or cooking the specimen.
  • Once the specimen has been dried, wait for it to cool to room temperature and place the voucher bag and the mushroom inside in a closed ziplock bag to prevent rehydration with humid air. 

  Once you have a dried specimen inside a bag labeled with your name, location, date of collection, iNaturalist observation number, and approximate ID, you are ready to bring the sample to us
  

  In the link below you’ll find the slideshow used for the training on how to make observations and how to label your sample bag to serve as a voucher as well.

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18N69qmR7zaUbveKunJVO6vcwY1hSQoYobPJFaUd2HDk/edit?usp=drivesdk
  

  We will receive your properly documented sample with our deepest gratitude 

  We are excited to see you there!

  -Serenella Linares, Programs Chair & Megan Romberg, Science Advisor
  The Mycological Association of Washington, Inc.

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    15 Feb 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  Join us at Mount Rainier Nature Center at 10am to bring your mushroom samples or at 1pm to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars!

  Mount Rainier Nature Center is located at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier MD, 20712

  If you are bringing samples to us, please ensure that the samples have been properly documented on iNaturalist, and that each of your samples has a unique iNaturalist observation number by the time of your arrival. Follow the process below to make your observation:

  MAKING AN OBSERVATION

  PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE DETACHING!

  • Take more than one picture
  • Show where the fungus is  growing from (substrate)
  • • If attached to something living, identify as much as possible. Ex: conifer, deciduous, oak, american holly, etc.
  • Photograph the habit (growing alone, gregarious, in clusters, etc.)
  • Take a picture from the top

  DETACH

  • Take a picture of the underside
  • Cut through the spore producing surface and notice if there are changes in color or secretion of latex. If so annotate and photograph
  • Add any smell or bruising you observe in the notes section

  PREPARING SAMPLE FOR DNA EXTRACTION

  • Place the mushroom on a coffee filter, piece of paper, or wax bag
  • Write the voucher information: date of collection, location, name of collector, field ID (Russula, Bolete, Agaricus, etc) and iNaturalist observation number.
  • Place your sample inside its voucher bag in a dehydrator at 100° until it is dry as cardboard. The timing of his process will vary depending on the size of the mushroom.
  • • If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the mushroom in your oven using its lowest setting and leaving the door of the oven cracked with a clothespin. Check on this setting every hour to prevent burning or cooking the specimen.
  • Once the specimen has been dried, wait for it to cool to room temperature and place the voucher bag and the mushroom inside in a closed ziplock bag to prevent rehydration with humid air. 

  Once you have a dried specimen inside a bag labeled with your name, location, date of collection, iNaturalist observation number, and approximate ID, you are ready to bring the sample to us
  

  In the link below you’ll find the slideshow used for the training on how to make observations and how to label your sample bag to serve as a voucher as well.

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18N69qmR7zaUbveKunJVO6vcwY1hSQoYobPJFaUd2HDk/edit?usp=drivesdk
  

  We will receive your properly documented sample with our deepest gratitude 

  We are excited to see you there!

  -Serenella Linares, Programs Chair & Megan Romberg, Science Advisor
  The Mycological Association of Washington, Inc.

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    22 Mar 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  Join us at Mount Rainier Nature Center at 10am to bring your mushroom samples or at 1pm to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars!

  Mount Rainier Nature Center is located at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier MD, 20712

  If you are bringing samples to us, please ensure that the samples have been properly documented on iNaturalist, and that each of your samples has a unique iNaturalist observation number by the time of your arrival. Follow the process below to make your observation:

  MAKING AN OBSERVATION

  PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE DETACHING!

  • Take more than one picture
  • Show where the fungus is  growing from (substrate)
  • • If attached to something living, identify as much as possible. Ex: conifer, deciduous, oak, american holly, etc.
  • Photograph the habit (growing alone, gregarious, in clusters, etc.)
  • Take a picture from the top

  DETACH

  • Take a picture of the underside
  • Cut through the spore producing surface and notice if there are changes in color or secretion of latex. If so annotate and photograph
  • Add any smell or bruising you observe in the notes section

  PREPARING SAMPLE FOR DNA EXTRACTION

  • Place the mushroom on a coffee filter, piece of paper, or wax bag
  • Write the voucher information: date of collection, location, name of collector, field ID (Russula, Bolete, Agaricus, etc) and iNaturalist observation number.
  • Place your sample inside its voucher bag in a dehydrator at 100° until it is dry as cardboard. The timing of his process will vary depending on the size of the mushroom.
  • • If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the mushroom in your oven using its lowest setting and leaving the door of the oven cracked with a clothespin. Check on this setting every hour to prevent burning or cooking the specimen.
  • Once the specimen has been dried, wait for it to cool to room temperature and place the voucher bag and the mushroom inside in a closed ziplock bag to prevent rehydration with humid air. 

  Once you have a dried specimen inside a bag labeled with your name, location, date of collection, iNaturalist observation number, and approximate ID, you are ready to bring the sample to us
  

  In the link below you’ll find the slideshow used for the training on how to make observations and how to label your sample bag to serve as a voucher as well.

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18N69qmR7zaUbveKunJVO6vcwY1hSQoYobPJFaUd2HDk/edit?usp=drivesdk
  

  We will receive your properly documented sample with our deepest gratitude 

  We are excited to see you there!

  -Serenella Linares, Programs Chair & Megan Romberg, Science Advisor
  The Mycological Association of Washington, Inc.

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    26 Apr 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  Join us at Mount Rainier Nature Center at 10am to bring your mushroom samples or at 1pm to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars!

  Mount Rainier Nature Center is located at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier MD, 20712

  If you are bringing samples to us, please ensure that the samples have been properly documented on iNaturalist, and that each of your samples has a unique iNaturalist observation number by the time of your arrival. Follow the process below to make your observation:

  MAKING AN OBSERVATION

  PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE DETACHING!

  • Take more than one picture
  • Show where the fungus is  growing from (substrate)
  • • If attached to something living, identify as much as possible. Ex: conifer, deciduous, oak, american holly, etc.
  • Photograph the habit (growing alone, gregarious, in clusters, etc.)
  • Take a picture from the top

  DETACH

  • Take a picture of the underside
  • Cut through the spore producing surface and notice if there are changes in color or secretion of latex. If so annotate and photograph
  • Add any smell or bruising you observe in the notes section

  PREPARING SAMPLE FOR DNA EXTRACTION

  • Place the mushroom on a coffee filter, piece of paper, or wax bag
  • Write the voucher information: date of collection, location, name of collector, field ID (Russula, Bolete, Agaricus, etc) and iNaturalist observation number.
  • Place your sample inside its voucher bag in a dehydrator at 100° until it is dry as cardboard. The timing of his process will vary depending on the size of the mushroom.
  • • If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the mushroom in your oven using its lowest setting and leaving the door of the oven cracked with a clothespin. Check on this setting every hour to prevent burning or cooking the specimen.
  • Once the specimen has been dried, wait for it to cool to room temperature and place the voucher bag and the mushroom inside in a closed ziplock bag to prevent rehydration with humid air. 

  Once you have a dried specimen inside a bag labeled with your name, location, date of collection, iNaturalist observation number, and approximate ID, you are ready to bring the sample to us
  

  In the link below you’ll find the slideshow used for the training on how to make observations and how to label your sample bag to serve as a voucher as well.

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18N69qmR7zaUbveKunJVO6vcwY1hSQoYobPJFaUd2HDk/edit?usp=drivesdk
  

  We will receive your properly documented sample with our deepest gratitude 

  We are excited to see you there!

  -Serenella Linares, Programs Chair & Megan Romberg, Science Advisor
  The Mycological Association of Washington, Inc.

  Show details