About Us

The Colorado Mycological Society is a non-profit organization of professional and amateur and citizen mycologists with over 1400 active members in Colorado! We are devoted to the promotion of scientific, educational, culinary, health and  artistic activities related to fungi.

Our Main focus:

  • We aim to encourage the protection of natural areas and their biological integrity.
  • Our goal is to advocate the sustainable use of mushrooms as a resource and endorse the responsible mushroom collecting that does not harm the fungi or their habitats.

2023 CMS Board of Directors

Jon Sommer

President

Jay Berger

Vice President

Foray Chair

forays@cmsweb.org

Alexis Murray

President-elect

Elena Balandina

Treasurer

Devon Lindsley

Secretary

secretary@cmsweb.org

Mircea Petrina

At-large Board Member

Patricia Bukur

At-large Board Member

Ash Donthi

At-large Board Member

Greg Sanchez

Past President

Andy Wilson

Assistant Curator of Mycology at Denver Botanic Gardens

Past-past President

Other Key People

Joe O’Hallaron

Webmaster

webmaster@cmsweb.org

Jeff Ravage

Webmaster

Kevin Freund

Newsletter Editor

Mission Statement

The mission of our society is to promote the study and appreciation of mycology. We discover, photograph, identify, collect and preserve mushrooms. We savor those that are edible and cherish those that are not.

We are dedicated to protecting mycological habitats as we enjoy nature’s bounty. We wish to share our knowledge and experiences through education, expanding the understanding of our science. All the while, we strive to keep the fun in fungi.

Our History

The spark that started CMS was struck in the mind of Dr. Sam Mitchel. Dr. Mitchel was a prominent Denver physician who would spend some time in Central City in the summers treating the opera stars that sang there. Across the street was a store owned by the mother of Rosa-Lee Brace. Their conversation often turned to the gorgeous mushrooms they found on walks in the forest, which prompted Sam’s interest in finding out more. At the Natural History Museum in Denver, there was no mushroom collection, so in 1964 he formed a small group of people with some background in science to become a study group. They called themselves the Colorado Mycological Society…

Society & Non-profit Information

The Colorado Mycological Society is continually looking forward to progressively manage our community in better ways. Please check our Bylaws and community guidelines