In a damp oak forest in Los Osos, a group of 15 students milled around in the underbrush on the hunt for an unlikely treasure. With boots sinking into the muddy earth, they kept their eyes carefully peeled for the distinctive caps and growths on damp wood and decomposing leaves.
“Look out for the orange mushrooms everyone!” biological sciences senior and Mycology Club co-president Kimberly Dispenza said.
These orange mushrooms are called chanterelles, a species of edible mushrooms that are highly sought after by mushroom foragers.
Cantharellus californicus, also known as the “golden chanterelle“, is a subspecies found in San Luis Obispo County and is characterized by a funnel-like shape, golden coloration and gills that run from the cap to the stipe, or stalk of the mushroom.
The group of students in search of this unlikely treasure is Cal Poly’s Mycology Club — a club devoted to exploring all things fungi.
According to Mycology Club vice president and marine sciences junior Toshiro Wada, there are about four or five species of local edible mushrooms that the club will gather during forages, including chanterelles.
Beyond foraging for mushrooms to eat, the Mycology Club allows students to learn how to identify a wide variety of local mushrooms in the SLO area and provides the knowledge and means of being able to grow their own mushrooms.
Wada first got involved with the club his freshman year of college while working at the Student Experimental Farm (SEF). There, he met students from the Mycology Club who inspired his interest in mushrooms.
According to Wada, the club has about 30 active members and meets twice a week.
Whether they forage or focus on growing mushrooms in their space at the SEF depends on the season. According to Wada, winter rains are what bring local ecosystems alive with mushrooms.
“Mainly we’ll go to the SEF during fall quarter and when it starts getting dry in the spring,” Wada said. “Winter quarter is when it’s popping. This is when you want to start foraging.”
In terms of foraging, mushroom identifying involves several steps that members of Mycology Club learn on their forages.
Dispenza has been a member of Mycology Club since 2022, but has been passionate about mushrooms and foraging for several years.
According to Dispenza, the most accurate way to identify a mushroom is by cross-checking several sources like local mushroom field guides and community science apps like I-Naturalist.
“The important mushroom features to note are the overall size, the color, texture, and shape of the cap and the stem, the fertile surface, the ecology [and] what the mushroom is growing from,” Dispenza said.
Mushrooms can be handled, whether or not they are poisonous, without any harm to the forager.
“A fun fact I like to share with new mushroom enthusiasts is that touching a mushroom won’t hurt you,” Dispenza said. “Even the poisonous ones. Just make sure you wash your hands before eating and you’re free to pick that mushie up and explore its features.”
There are approximately two or three species of deadly mushrooms in the San Luis Obispo area. These species are toxic and cannot be consumed, according to Dispenza.
Before consuming any mushroom that she forages, Dispenza shared that it is best practice to check at least three sources.
Another aspect of foraging the club is intentional about is not damaging the natural environment around them.
“Mushrooms are the fruiting body of the fungal organism, comparable to an apple, whose primary purpose is to make and spread spores,” Dispenza said. “The large majority of the organism is the mycelium, a root-like mass that is hidden within the substrate, like dirt or wood. So picking a mushroom to study does not damage the greater organism.”
To be courteous, the club leaves mushrooms for others to enjoy, as well as clearing foraged mushrooms off the trail.
“It’s important to explore ethically so we can be good stewards of the land that provides for us,” Dispenza said. “When searching for mushrooms, stick to trails whenever possible, avoid trampling plants, and leave some mushrooms for others to admire and learn from.”
Mason Stobbe, a physics junior and co-president of the club, has specifically honed in on growing mushrooms.
“Most growing projects are pretty similar,” Stobbe said. “You start off with liquid culture, which is like mycelium of the mushroom in a sugary solution. Then you take that and put it in some kind of grain which is called making a grain spawn.”
This grain spawn is then added to a substrate, which depends on the type of mushroom being grown. After the substrate has colonized, the next step is to expose it to air.
“You introduce fruiting conditions, which basically means you expose it to air and a lot of humidity,” Stobbe said. “Then the mushrooms will start to grow and you can harvest some.”
Whether it be through growing or foraging for mushrooms, the Mycology Club offers mushroom lovers an outlet for their interest and a way to learn and connect with others.
Stobbe noted how the club allows a space for students to explore the natural world of the San Luis Obispo area together.
“A lot of mushrooms are regional, so it allows you to learn about the nature of the area,” Stobbe said. “A lot of people in the club know a lot about plants and animals here too. So you can learn about pretty much anything, which is nice.”