Illinois Mycological Association

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Illinois Mycological Association
AbbreviationIMA
PredecessorIllinois Mycological Society
Formation1973;50 years ago (1973)
FounderMarcia Mau
Founded at Chicago
Type NGO
Purposemycology
Region
Illinois
President
Susan Kayser [1]
Scientific Advisor
Patrick Leacock [2]
Program Chair
Catherine Lambrecht [1]
Secretary
Crystal McAllister [1]
PublicationFungus Friends [3]
Parent organization
North American Mycological Association [4]
Website www.illinoismyco.org

The Illinois Mycological Association or IMA is a group of mushroom enthusiasts, citizen scientists, foragers, and professional mycologists based in the Chicago area.

Overview

Meetings are held monthly, except in some winter months, at the Niles Historical & Cultural Center. [5] Originally meetings were held at the Field Museum of Natural History, and later at North Park Village Nature Center, both in Chicago. [3] The meetings usually include a lecture from a professional mycologist or author and are free and open to the public. However, only members can attend the mushroom forays, or hunts, which are the best way to identify local fungi. These happen a couple times a month from the first foray for morels and other spring mushrooms at Kankakee River State Park in late April or early May, [6] until the September foray to gather displays for the Annual Mushroom Show. [7] The free public show is every year during Labor Day weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden. [8] [7] [9]

The monthly newsletter has been called Fungus Friends since 1993, but was published before then without a title. [3] The newsletter is where the details for the locations for the forays are listed.

The IMA is a participant in the North American Mycoflora Project, which will identify and map the mycobiota of North America, representing the Chicago region. [10]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolf Singer</span> German mycologist (1906–1994)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Sumner Earle</span>

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The North American Mycological Association (NAMA), is a non-profit organization of amateurs and professionals who are interested in fungi, including mushrooms, morels, truffles, molds, and related organisms. NAMA aims "to promote, pursue, and advance the science of mycology."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orson K. Miller Jr.</span> American mycologist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander H. Smith</span> American mycologist (1904-1986)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worthington George Smith</span> British botanist (1835–1917)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meinhard Michael Moser</span> Austrian mycologist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fungal Diversity Survey</span>

Fungal Diversity Survey, or FunDiS, is a nonprofit citizen science organization formerly known as North American Mycoflora Project, Inc. FunDiS aims to document the diversity and distribution of fungi across North America “in order to increase awareness of their critical role in the health of ecosystems and allow us to better protect them in a world of rapid climate change and habitat loss.” The project encourages amateurs, working with professionals, to contribute observations to online databases vetted by experts, and to collect and document fungi for DNA barcoding. Fungal Diversity Survey, Inc. is a Charitable 501(c)(3) organization registered in Indiana, USA.

Lois Long was an American amateur mycologist, best known for her illustrations and textile designs featuring mushrooms and other forms of nature.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "About Us". Illinois Mycological Association. 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  2. Illinois Mycological Association PSA. YouTube. 14 March 2014. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Schutte, Eileen (2010). "The History of the Illinois Mycological Association". Illinois Mycological Association. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  4. "NAMA Affiliated Clubs". North American Mycological Association. 2018. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. "Featured Events". Illinois Mycological Association. 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  6. Sula, Mike (1 May 2008). "Omnivorous: The 'Shroomer Who Shares". Chicago Reader. Chicago. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Wiley, Melissa (4 September 2014). "Meet The Mushroom: Forage With The Illinois Mycological Association". Chicagoist archives. WNYC. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  8. "Illinois Mycological Association Mushroom Show & Sale". Chicago Botanic Garden. Glencoe, IL. 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  9. O'Connor, Rod; Hewet, Lucy (3 April 2017). "Do You Know the Mushroom Man?". Chicago magazine. Chicago Tribune Media Group. ISSN   0362-4595. OCLC   25489576. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  10. "Participants". North American Mycoflora Project. 2017. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018. Mycoflora of Chicago Region Project Lead: Patrick Leacock Sponsored by: Illinois Mycological Association Region: Cook County, IL and adjacent counties