In a damp oak forest in Los Osos, a group of 15 students milled about 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 Kimberly Dispenza said.
The group of students in search of this unlikely treasure is Cal Poly’s Mycology Club—a club devoted to exploring all things fungi.