2026 Lectures & Workshops

Jon Sommer and Rachel Zoller, Instructors

Saturday, Nov. 7 - 10:30-3:30 - $65 (includes a box lunch)

Location: Brookings Event Center, 800 Chetco Ave. Unit B

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This will be a combination lecture, field foray, and ID session, led by two of our favorite teachers, Jon Sommer and Rachel Zoller. Please make sure to dress for coastal weather, as the foray portion of this class will be rain or shine. Note: we will be encouraging carpooling during the foray. More details will follow as we get closer to the festival. 

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Jon Sommer has led mushroom forays, given lectures on a range of mycological topics, and taught mushroom identification across the U.S. for more than 45 years.  He is a well-known speaker and presenter for Mycological Societies and Forays across the country.

Jon received a Bachelor’s degree in Botany from Humboldt State University and Master’s Degrees in Botany and in Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis.   He studied mushroom identification with notable mycologists including Drs. David Largent, Orson K Miller, Jr and Harry D. Thiers.  

A resident of Colorado for 30 years, and now living on the Oregon coast, Jon has in-depth knowledge of fungi across the US and particularly northern California and Oregon.  He is the immediate Past President of the Colorado Mycological Society and is the current Vice President of the Lincoln County Mycological Society. 

When Rachel Zoller began her journey into the world of mushrooms, she quickly saw the need for more beginner-friendly resources, so she started creating materials and programs to support folks newly interested in mushrooms. 

Her educational programs span from the classroom to the forest, working with community colleges to conservation agencies, engaging both adults and children to deepen their love and understanding of fungi. Learn more about Rachel at her website, Yellow Elanor.

Joe Spivack 

Saturday, Nov. 7 - 10:30-11:30 - $20

Location: Chetco Brewing Company, 830 Railroad St.

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Joe Spivack's fascination with mushrooms started shortly after he moved to Oregon in 1984, when he took a Lane Community College class with the late, great mushroom mentor Freeman Rowe. Since then, Joe's interest in the world of fungi never waned, and he has been involved in fungi education in a number of ways ever since.

Joe says he's not a professional mycologist, but studying mushrooms has been his passion for the last 40 years. Some of Joe's activities include:

- Helping with the Mt. Pisgah Mushroom festival every year since 1985 (ID, forays, working the edible/poisonous booth)

-  Co-founding the Cascade Mycological Society (CMS) - and a member still today

- Leading yearly forays with CMS and serving on the CMS board of directors

- Teaching a Lane Community College continuing education course - “Wild Mushrooms” - from 1995-2004

- Leading forays and giving presentations at the annual Yachats Mushroom Festival since it’s inception over 20 years ago

- Offering an annual beginning mushroom class and field trip for the 5th & 6th grade classes at the Eugene Village School for the past 5 years

- Conducting an annual outdoor class and foray for Friends of Hendricks Park  for the past 7 years

- Presenting a lecture at the 2018 NAMA festival

Henry Young 

Saturday, Nov. 7 - 12:15-1:15 - $20

Location: Chetco Brewing Company, 830 Railroad St.

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Explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose your lunch bunch are covered, along with their impact on humans. 

Henry Young  is an amateur mycologist who has collected and studied fungi for over 40 years. He is currently active with the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society, teaching a mushroom ID class for members and leading forays.

Henry started by taking identification classes with David Arora. He joined the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz in 1986 and was a board member from 1987. He attended the San Francisco State University “Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada” course taught by Dr. Dennis Desjardin and several other workshops and classes dealing with various aspects of mycology.

Henry has been a contributor to mushroom identification for the Willamette Valley, Santa Cruz and San Francisco Fungus Fairs. His name is on the NAMA call list to help identify mushrooms in poisoning cases. In between giving classes at the Fair, he works at the identification table helping to identify mushrooms.

Besides a general interest in all types of fungi, Henry has a particular interest in poisonous mushrooms, ascomycetes and lichens. Henry is also a member of the Cascade Mycological Society, BAMS and NAMA and has attended several national forays.