Fungal resources
Let’s myceliate! The mycology community is thriving at every scale from the local to the global. Here are a few resources, if you would like to go deeper. This is a list in process. Don’t see your favorites? Feel free to let us know, so we can include them in the future!
*Download a full PDF of Open Fung’s Fungal Resources here.
People and fungi
*Fungi, people and the environment
Websites for fungal identification and/or diversity mapping
iNaturalist - iNaturalist's mission is to connect people to nature and advance biodiversity science and conservation.
Mushroom Observer
MushroomExpert.com
MykoWeb
Non-Profits
Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation - Their mission is to advance research and application of ecological remediation to equitably address pollution, promote public health, provide education and workforce development, and build climate resilience
Corenewal - Dedicated to preserving biodiversity and ameliorating the impacts of natural disasters and ecological disturbances on both community and ecosystem health. Emphasizes the role of fungi in restoration.
FUNDIS - FunDiS is dedicated to protecting biodiversity through the conservation of fungi and their habitats. We promote knowledge and public awareness of fungal diversity and distribution.
Fungi Foundation - Fungi Foundation explores and documents the fungi to educate about their existence and promote public policies in order to protect them and their habitats.
Homeworld Collective - Homeworld Collective is dedicated to nurturing the growth of climate biotech by fostering community, building knowledge, and directly supporting early stage research. Together we can work toward a healthy biosphere and thriving human society.
Lab to Land - Lab to Land is built to deliver climate resilience and carbon removal for wildlands by understanding and unlocking the power of environmental biotechnologies.
SPUN - Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) is a scientific research organization founded to map mycorrhizal fungal communities and advocate for their protection.
Open science and learning
Fascinated by Fungi podcast: Gordon Walker’s information-dense AND incredibly fun podcast!
FungiDB - An integrated bioinformatic resource for fungi and oomycetes.
MycoCosm - The fungal genomics resource.
SuilluScope - SuilluScope is an interactive, open access database for Suillus fungi, a model genus for ectomycorrhizal ecology and evolution.
Gatherings and Festivals
Telluride Mushroom Festival - Since 1981, the Telluride Mushroom Festival has been bringing in the best mycologists to speak on psychedelic research, decriminalization, and how to cultivate your own mushrooms.
General Resources
The Future is Fungi Award and Podcast - Unlocking the magic of fungi for environmental innovations.
*groups and Community
Global mycolocal societies and community groups
International Mycological Association
North American Mycological Association (NAMA)
NorCal
Bay Area Applied Mycology
Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz
Hyphae Labs, Oakland Hyphae
Mycological Society of Marin
Mycological Society of San Francisco
MycoMap CA Network
San Francisco Microscopical Society
Sonoma County Mycological Association
SoCal
Foraging and Mushroom Hunting Women of SoCal
LA Mycological Society
Mycelium Matters
POC Fungi Community
San Diego Mycological Society
*Fungi: art, design, applications
Directories
Bio Creative Index - A directory of people working at the intersection of biology and creative disciplines.
Fungal Artist Open Directory (FAOD) - A mapping project of a worldwide community of fungal artists
Stories
Dezeen - Mycelium Design, Clearinghouse of stories about European mycelium design
MycoStories - Supporting pioneers harnessing the power of fungi to address the most pressing issues of our time.
Consortia
Eurofung - A scientific consortium of experts specialising in fungal research, actively propelling the frontiers of fungal biology and biotechnology.
FUNGAR - Fungal Architectures is a new cross-disciplinary research project that seeks to develop a fully integrated structural and computational living substrate using fungal mycelium for the purpose of growing architecture.
Fungateria - The Fungateria project focuses on bringing mycelium-based materials into an ‘Engineered Living Material' (ELM) context. ELMs comprise living cells that remain biologic.
Mycomaterial Technology Consortium (MTU) - The Mycomaterial Technology Consortium aims to create high-value new materials from unused mushroom biomass, contributing to the bio-economy, fostering new industries, and creating employment.
Books and papers
*BOOKS
General
21st Century Guidebook to Fungi, David Moore, Geoffrey D. Robson, Anthony P. J. Trinci, Anthony P. A very science-heavy (in the best way!) and incredibly wide-ranging survey of fungal biology.
Dr. Fun Guy's Passport to Kingdom Fungi: A Scientist's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of Mushrooms, Molds, and More, Gordon Walker
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures, Merlin Sheldrake. A brilliant place to start.
Mr. Bloomfield’s Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists, Nicholas P. Money
Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets
Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms, Eugenia Bone
Fungal trilogy, open access:
Mind the Fungi (2020), Ed. Vera Meyer, Regine Rapp,
Engage with Fungi (2022), Ed. Vera Meyer, Sven Pfeiffer,
Operate with Fungi (2024), Ed. Vera Meyer, Wolfgang Schäffner
Fungi in culture and the arts
In Search of Mycotopia: Citizen Science, Fungi and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms, Doug Bierend
Let's Become Fungal!: Mycelium Teachings and the Arts: Based on Conversations with Indigenous Wisdom Keepers, Artists, Curators, Feminists and Mycologists, Yasmine Ostendorf-Rodríguez
Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins, Ana Tsing.
Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix, Miriam C. Rice
A Mycological Foray: Variations on Mushrooms, John Cage
Fungal cultivation
[see below]
Fungal identification, Western US-focused
Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America (Volume 106), R. Michael Davis, Robert Sommer, John Menge
Mushrooms Demystified, David Arora. It’s a doorstop and a totally delightful classic!
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest, Steve Trudell
Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast (a gem!), and Mushrooms of Cascadia, Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz
Open-access scientific papers
Open Fung’s scientific literature sampler: our curated list and summaries of scientific papers, mostly open access, that have been particularly helpful across a broad swath of disciplines. The list isn’t even close to exhaustive, but can serve as a mycological appetite-whetter.
Growing fungi
*Learning
Fungal cultivation
Cordyceps Cultivation Ebook, William Padilla-Brown
Getting Started with Mushroom Cultivation, MykoWeb
Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Paul Stamets
Mushroom Grower’s Handbook 1: Oyster Cultivation (especially Chapter 11: “Growing Ganoderma Mushrooms,” by Alice Chen)
Radical Mycology: A Treatise On Seeing And Working With Fungi, Peter McCoy
PennState Extension Mushroom, University website with insights from commercial-scale growing
Shroomery, forum. Psychedelic focus, but full of general fungal cultivation info
United Nations Training Manual on Mushroom Cultivation, Shu-Ting Chang
Putting together a myco-work space
Myers Mushrooms: list from urban mushroom farmer, Eric Meyers
Microscopy
Using a microscope to study mushrooms, MushroomExpert.com
Fungal Microscopy Workshop with Alan Rockefeller- How to look at a mushroom in a microscope: presented with Andrew Hilliard of Mushroom Wonderland
*Sources
Fungal strains, kits and cultivation supplies
Beta chips (Characterized hardwood sawdust. Available at livestock suppliers)
Far West Fungi
Grow.bio
Maine Cap N’ Stem
Mushroom Media Online
Mycelia
North Spore
Sac O2 microboxes
Terrestrial Fungi (Great resource for an extensive collection of Ganoderma and Cordyceps strains)
Unicorn Bags
Westerdijk Institute
World Data Center for Microorganisms – Culture Collections Information: Worldwide directory of 873 worldwide microbial culture collections
Equipment
Mycology-supply.com