The New York Mycological Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing the awareness, knowledge, appreciation and protection of fungi. We believe that passionate, knowledgeable amateurs are important contributors to science and fungal conservation.

The New York Mycological Society is a mushroom club for anyone with an interest in fungi. No prior knowledge is required to join one of our walks, identification sessions or lectures.

Here are the many ways our members can get involved with us:

WALKS

We believe that the best way to learn about fungi is to walk the woods with others; observing, touching, smelling and documenting the fungi we find. Our walks are a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with our local fungi and their distinctive characteristics, as well as their role in our ecosystems.

The club goes on mushroom walks almost every weekend of the year, rain or shine. There are two kinds of walks:

  • Pop-up walks (November to end of June): locations are decided a few days beforehand.
  • Scheduled walks (early July to end of October): dates/locations are publicized well in advance.

Information about upcoming walks is sent to members every Thursday. The club visits 17 different New York City parks, but in summer and fall we also travel to locations outside the city. All locations are reachable by public transit. No RSVPs are required – just show up!

Note: NYMS walks are not foraging walks. Foraging is prohibited in New York City parks.

Due to capacity constraints we can’t accept guests on our walks.

Leashed well behaved dogs are welcome as are kids of all ages

Find out more about what happens on a NYMS mushroom walk here.

ID SESSIONS

We have Zoom ID sessions every Monday at 6.30pm where members share images of their finds or see what others have found. Invites with a link get sent out every Saturday. Anyone is invited to these sessions and no prior knowledge is required.

LECTURES

We have a lecture series that commences in February and usually ends in June, where experts from a variety of fields will present to club members. Lectures cover scientific topics (different types of fungi and the latest discoveries) and hands-on skills (identification and microscopy). They are currently taking place on Zoom, but hopefully we will be able to have them in person again in the not too distant future. YouTube links for past lectures can be found in the Lectures section of our website, along with information on upcoming lectures.

NEWSLETTER

We have a beautiful newsletter that comes out two to four times a year. Back issues can be found here.

WORKSHOPS

We help members build their fungi-related skills through workshops, from identification to DNA barcoding; this includes a microscopy workshop that takes place at least once a year. These workshops are being held on Zoom until further notice.

COMMUNITY SCIENCE

We are committed to documenting biodiversity and many of our members use the iNaturalist app to document their finds. This generates valuable records for science and conservation. Bonus: expert identifiers will ID your specimens. We have two projects – one for NYC and one for outside the NYC – and we encourage you to join them. Instructions on how to use iNaturalist are here if you need them.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS

We are partnering with a number of New York City organizations to bring awareness, knowledge and excitement around fungi to communities who might not be aware or who might not have access. Email us if you are interested in partnering or volunteering.

RESOURCES

We have species lists and walk lists on our website as well as a searchable species database. A glossary of mushroom words can be found here, and keys to a wide variety of fungi here.

FOOD-RELATED EVENTS

Our annual banquets are legendary; other food-related outings are also occasionally scheduled. Due to the pandemic these events are on hold until further notice.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We have a lively Facebook page and Instagram presence. We are also on Twitter. Also check out our new Slack workspace, where you can get your finds identified, find or offer car-pooling, share recipes, find out more about growing, ask questions about microscopy or plan outings.

MICROSCOPE RENTALS

The club has two microscopes that members can borrow for up to two weeks. Reach out to president@newyorkmyc.org for further information and to be placed on the wait list.

MEMBERSHIP DUES POLICY

Memberships are paid in full for 1 year (365 days), from the date of sign-up. All memberships are household memberships, covering the subscribing member and a member of their household. Membership entitles you to our:

  • newsletter (mailed or emailed)
  • meetings
  • events
  • lectures
  • workshops
  • website content, eg recordings of our lectures
  • our weekly emails with walks information and ID session invitations
  • discounted membership rate for NAMA (the North American Mycological Association)

All memberships will receive one email notifications for the following (unless noted otherwise):

  • Welcome email
  • Payment receipt
  • Failed transaction **note: only if your PayPal payment fails
  • Abandoned PayPal cart **note: will be sent anytime you abandon the cart
  • 1 week Reminder to renew
  • 0 day Reminder to renew