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• Herping, Mothing, and Lichens at Bull Run

  • When
    21 May 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Bulls Run Regional Park; ***Meet at Atlantis Waterpark Parking Lot***, 7700 Bull Run Dr, Centreville, VA 20121

  

  Slither on over to Bull Run Regional Park for an amphibian adventure! Early-mid spring is an incredibly active time of year for our local amphibians as they look -and sing- for a mate. The flooded forests at Bull Run, known as vernal pools, are highly prized by these animals because they lack aquatic predators and are therefore safe nurseries for their young. Learn more about the behaviors of these incredible amphibians and get ready see some up close from the hands of Roving Naturalist, Matt Felperin! Mycologist and naturalist Serenella Linares will also show us some fascinating fungi, and all around naturalist Ana Ka’ahanui will be setting up a moth sheet as well! Hope to see you there. $5, Ages 16+

  Please contact mfelperin@nvrpa.org or 703.268.6064 for more information

  Address:Bulls Run Regional Park; ***Meet at Atlantis Waterpark Parking Lot***, 7700 Bull Run Dr, Centreville, VA 20121

  REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Spaces limited!

  REGISTER AT 

  https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/novaparks/activity/search/detail/9910?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&from_original_cui=true

  Organized as a collaboration of:
  Prince George's Department of Parks and Recreation, NOVA Parks, Capital Nature, National Park Service, & The Mycological Association of Washington DC

  If you are trying to register, and it's full, please join the waitlist. We monitor it frequently to make spaces available as they come.

  For questions contact: Please contact mfelperin@nvrpa.org or 703.268.6064

  or Serenella Linares at programs@mawdc.org

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    24 May 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    Mount Rainier Nature Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mount Rainier MD
  • Registered
    1 registrant

  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
• Summertime Board Meeting

  • When
    27 May 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

  Zoom Link:

  https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09
  

  
  

  Meeting ID 966 9369 0911

  Passcode  330827

  
  

  Show details
• Cosca Park Bioblitz

  • When
    20 Jun 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Location
    Clearwater Nature Center, 11401 Thrift Rd, Clinton, MD 20735
  • Spaces left
    20

  

  Mark your calendars and join the Maryland Biodiversity Project, the Department and Parks and Recreation of Prince George's County and MAWDC to learn about the wonderful species that call Cosca Regional Park their home. Understanding which species live in our neighborhoods helps us better study and protect them. However, we can only achieve this if scientists, land managers, and YOU work together. By participating, you aren’t just learning about local nature, you’re helping make your city a better place for every species!

  The Maryland Biodiversity Project will arrange guided walks led by our regional experts to learn to identify different organisms such as: mushrooms, mammals, insects, plants and more!

  What to bring:

  • A fully charged phone (for documenting your finds!)
  • iNaturalist app* installed and ready to make observations
  • A reusable water bottle
  • Sturdy, closed-toe shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing

  
  

  *To learn about iNaturalist and how to use it, please register for our

  iNaturalist trainings HERE

  
  

  Address: Clearwater Nature Center, 11401 Thrift Rd, Clinton, MD 20735

  Organized as a collaboration of:
  Maryland Biodiversity Project, Prince George's Department of Parks and Recreation, & The Mycological Association of Washington DC

  For questions contact Serenella Linares at programs@mawdc.org

  Show details
• Shorter DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    28 Jun 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 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 to ask questions about our process or anything fungi. Our experts are excited to see you! Mark your calendars! THIS IS A SPECIAL SHORTER VERSION TO ALLOW ATTENDANCE TO THE PICNIC!

  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
• MAWDC Annual Picnic - SAVE THE DATE

  • When
    28 Jun 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Carderock Recreation Area, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, Potomac, MD 20854 (on Google maps)

  Registration is closed

  
  

  Let's get together IN PERSON! Mark your calendars and REGISTER for the Annual Picninc at Carderock Recreation Area!

  The picnic will be held at: Carderock Recreation Area, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, Potomac, MD 20854 (on Google maps)

  • Start the morning with a guided walk
  • Picnic, potluck style starting at 12noon
  • Family friendly game

  Bring your family, dog, toys, insect repellant, and a dish to share.

  
  

  Running water, bathrooms, and electricity available on-site

  Free parking adjacent to the pavilion.

  
  

  MAWDC will provide cold drinks and mushrooms to put on the grill.

  Registration opens on Jun 1

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    26 Jul 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
• Fall Board Meeting

  • When
    28 Jul 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

  Zoom Link:

  https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09
  

  
  

  Meeting ID 966 9369 0911

  Passcode  330827

  
  

  Show details
• Nocturnal Blooms at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

  • When
    06 Aug 2026
  •  
    8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  • Location
    Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave NE, Washington, DC 20019
  • Spaces left
    35

  
  

  This walk is offered FREE thanks to the support of the National Park Service

  The National Park Service represented by Park Ranger Jodi Bucknam, in collaboration with Mycologist Serenella Linares, and naturalists Ana Ka’ahanui & Matt Felperin invite you on a unique opportunity to see the water lily blooms at night! Witness nighttime sounds, nocturnal pollinators, fluorescence, and other wonders of the dark. Bring a reusable water bottle, a charged phone, closed toe shoes, and dress for the weather.
  

  Address: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave NE, Washington, DC 20019

  REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Spaces limited!

  Registration will open the last week of July

  Organized as a collaboration of:
  Prince George's Department of Parks and Recreation, NOVA Parks, Capital Nature, National Park Service, & The Mycological Association of Washington DC

  If you are trying to register, and it's full, please join the waitlist. We monitor it frequently to make spaces available as they come.

  For questions contact: Serenella Linares at programs@mawdc.org

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    23 Aug 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
• Camp Sequanota Mushroom Weekend

  • Start
    03 Sep 2026
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • End
    07 Sep 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • Location
    368 Sequanota Rd, Boswell, PA 15531
  • Spaces left
    110

  REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN EARLY SUMMER 2026 and will close August 16

  To register, click the gray Register button that appears below the lodging options. (On your phone it should be just above this text and on desktop it should be to the left of this text at the very bottom.)

  Join MAW for a mushroom-filled weekend in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. Our foray at Camp Sequanota has been an annual event for more than 40 years. It's a great opportunity to advance your mushroom knowledge and get to know other mushroom and nature enthusiasts.

  Our guest mycologists are Shannon Nix and Todd Elliott.

  Each day we will have mushroom hunting walks at various locations and on Saturday & Sunday we will have workshops -- including mushroom cooking, mushroom ID for newbies, mushroom paper making, fungal felting, mushroom sculpting, and documenting mushroom diversity. In the evenings after dinner on  Saturday and Sunday our guest mycologists will give presentations. Saturday concludes with a night walk, and Sunday evening wraps up with our fourth annual myco-costume/talent show (bring along a costume, a song, a poem, or a skit!)

  Your registration includes 8 meals (Friday evening to Monday breakfast), all walks, workshops, and evening programs. (Thursday evening arrival is an extra add-on and will include Friday breakfast and lunch.)

  Onsite accommodations options are rustic motel-style rooms, summer camp style cabins, or tenting. (Keep in mind nature is all around so it's possible there may be some small non-human guests in accomodations - staff will do their best to escort any uninvited critters back outside.) There are also a few different hotels within 20-25 minutes of the campus.

  It takes many hands to put on this event so please consider volunteering some of your time to help with tasks such as cleaning foraged mushrooms and cleanup at the end of the event.

  Note: guests are not permitted to bring dogs to Sequanota.

  Show details
• Night walk at Greenbelt Park

  • When
    17 Sep 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    Greenbelt Park, Sweetgum Picnic Area, 6565 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20770
  • Spaces left
    35

  

  This walk is offered FREE thanks to the support of the National Park Service

  The National Park Service represented by Park Ranger, Edwin J. Rivera, in collaboration with Mycologist Serenella Linares, and naturalists Ana Ka’ahanui & Matt Felperin invite you on a unique opportunity to see the water lily blooms at night! Witness nighttime sounds, nocturnal pollinators, fluorescence, and other wonders of the dark. Bring a reusable water bottle, a charged phone, closed toe shoes, and dress for the weather.
  

  Address: Greenbelt Park, Sweetgum Picnic Area, 6565 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20770

  REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Spaces limited!

  Registration will open the last week of August

  Organized as a collaboration of:
  Prince George's Department of Parks and Recreation, NOVA Parks, Capital Nature, National Park Service, & The Mycological Association of Washington DC

  If you are trying to register, and it's full, please join the waitlist. We monitor it frequently to make spaces available as they come.

  For questions contact: Serenella Linares at programs@mawdc.org

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    27 Sep 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
• MAW 2026 Mushroom Fair

  • When
    11 Oct 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Brookside Gardens Visitor Center, 1800 Glenallen Ave, Wheaton, MD

  Join the Mycological Association of Washington for our annual mushroom fair at Brookside Gardens Sunday October 11, from 12 pm to 5 pm. Open to the general public, the 2025 MAW Mushroom Fair will mushroom ID walks on the grounds of Brookside and Wheaton Regional Park, a display of numerous local mushrooms, mushroom-themed demonstrations, spore microscopy, mycelial sculpting, mushroom cultivation and more. This family-friendly event will also feature kids' activities, including a trio of mushroom-themed books read by the author (MAW’s own AD Gray). Bring cash to purchase mushroom art, photography, tinctures, grow kits, and more from onsite vendors. 

  Mushroom walks will depart every half hour to explore the grounds of Brookside Gardens and Wheaton Regional Park. No registration is required; this event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact vp@mawdc.org. Carpool link for MAW members is here.

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    25 Oct 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
    29 Nov 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
• Winter Board Meeting

  • When
    13 Dec 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

  Zoom Link:

  https://zoom.us/j/96693690911?pwd=YWdyeXh1bHF1N1UyNjNieFovNWFUZz09
  

  
  

  Meeting ID 966 9369 0911

  Passcode  330827

  
  

  Show details
• DNA Lab Day @ Mount Rainier Nature Center

  • When
    20 Dec 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