Foray cancellations and membership extension
With the news from the Ontario government that all outdoor activities with non-household members are forbidden, at least until May 20th, the MST must regrettably cancel the spring foray season at this time. We understand your frustration and feel it as well. The board had some new things planned for the club, but we have yet to be able to implement them.
The board has also decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting normally held in April, since our last AGM wasn't very long ago. Some members have been asking about whether the Cain Foray will be held this year. We can't know yet if it will be possible, but we're watching gathering and border restrictions and if we can possibly hold the Cain, we will.
In lieu of the spring foray season, the board has again decided to extend memberships by 6 months. Your membership extension has already been applied. Your new expiry date is reflected in your membership profile, and in the Member Details section which you'll see on the left side of most pages on our website when signed in. If you received a notice in February, March or April that your membership had expired, don't worry – we've still applied the extension, and your membership is active again. If you have any questions about your membership or the extension, please don't hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. any time.
While we can't offer forays or in-person workshops, we do have some resources for you to use as self study. Have a look at the list of Self-Study Resources below – just make sure you're logged in to the MST website to access the members-only areas.
Additionally, the website still offers lots of interest: photo galleries, videos of meeting speakers, and back issues of our Mycelium newsletter. And our Facebook group is busy with identification challenges, too!
We look forward to welcoming you back at MST events as soon as we can.
Best wishes,
The MST Board of Directors
Self-Study Resources
We have basic mushroom hunting and identification covered for you:
- Mushroom Hunting 101 by Sheila Mazur
- A Painless Introduction to Polypores by Lawrence Millman
Looking to safely foray and explore your backyard or nearest park solo or with your household?
- The MST's Field Species Checklist has been newly revised for 2021 by MST Education Chair Pat Burchell and former Mycelium Editor Tony Wright, in order to bring it up to date with current taxonomy. This is a great resource to refer to for your learning.
- Mushroom identification key by Antonio Cillero Rodrigo
- Spore Prints – essential in identification and a fun activity for kiddos too
- Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada by Timothy Baroni is a great guide book
- All That The Rain Promises and More by David Arora
Tree identification courses are a fantastic way to step up your mushroom hunting game. We are lucky enough to have two!
- Tree Identification by Sheila Mazur
- Tree Identification by Bark and Leaf in the Spring Season by D. Andrew White
Do you want the mushrooms to come to you? Check out these cultivation videos:
- Home Cultivation by Tom Nagy
- Mushroom Cultivation on Hardwood Logs by Bruno Pretto
- An Overview of the History and Methods of Mushroom Cultivation by Antonio Cillero Rodrigo
Some interesting fungal truths you might not have known about:
- Women in Mycology by Giuliana Furci
- The 22 Myths of Medicinal Mushrooms by Robert Rogers
City dweller? Check out:
- Mushrooms of Toronto: A Guide to Their Remarkable World – part of the City of Toronto Biodiversity Series
- Some Spring and Summer Mushrooms of the GTA by Pat Burchell
Bookworm? Here are some great reads:
- Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
- Fungipedia: A Brief Compendium of Mushroom Lore by Lawrence Millman
- The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America by Robert Rogers
- Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World by Paul Stamets