Collection Foray

Anyone who wants to participate in the collection foray will meet at the [predetermined place and time]. We will brief you on the information we will need collected and how to photograph mushrooms and post those photos to iNaturalist.  We strongly encourage everyone to look over the how-to presentation ahead of time here: Citizen Science How-To
We will assign you to a group leader. We will assign everyone to a small group lead by a foray leader. Your group leader will lead you to their assigned area. You will be looking for fungi around that area. Please only collect within general eyesight of your group leader, so we know what general area your collections came from. Please watch for and respect property markers. Look for mushrooms that are fresh, not old or damaged. Work together to take HIGH QUALITY OBSERVATIONS of the mushrooms and fill out the provided field datasheets, then place the collected mushroom with the field datasheet into the provided brown paper bag in your basket. When you are ready to head back, take your collections to The Chapel where our ID tables will be set up and the mycologists will ID your mushrooms. The fungi will then be dried, sequenced and archived at the herbaria of Auburn and West Alabama Universities. 

Will I Be Receiving Physical Tickets?

No, we are not sending physical tickets. Please be prepared to show your ticket purchase confirmation receipt at the gate (printed or on your phone). You will at that time receive a handstamp and a wristband that will correspond with your faire access level.

Can I Bring My Dog

Please, leave your pups at home. Dogs will not be allowed into the faire. 

Is The Faire ADA Accessible?

Unfortunately, not all of the park grounds are ADA accessible.

Can I Have A Fire?

No, individual fires are not permitted. We will have a communal fire pit that you can cook personal food on. Or you are welcome to bring a personal campstove or backpacking stove like a JetBoil for use outdoors only. 

Is There Water/Power Access

Yes, there is potable water and power available.

What Amenities Are At The Faire?

There are multiple bathroom facilities across the campus with showers. 

Are Children Allowed?

Children are welcome and we are planning to have a few youth focused activities available but this event is primarily geared toward adults. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. We love to spark interest in mushrooms in youth and encourage their attendance on forays. We expect parents to address their children's behavior if it is detracting from the lecture or destructive to the environment. Parents with children who are being continuously disruptive or destructive will be asked to leave. 

Can I Bring My Own Food?

There will be food vendors on site and there is a Jacks withing walking distance of the faire. Bringing food for your personal consumption (not sales) is allowed. There will be a communal fire pit available, but no personal fires allowed. Personal cookstoves or backpack stoves are permitted for outdoor use. 

What Should I Bring?

For attending forays, some recommended items include: shoes/boots suitable for hiking, bugspray, sunscreen, weather appropriate clothing, a basket or container to collect mushrooms, cellphone with the iNaturalist app already downloaded, water, a small pocket or mushrooming knife, a UV flashlight (For the UV Foray)

Campers: tent, sleeping bag suitable for October nighttime temperatures (check closer to the faire date, but sometimes can drop down into the 50s) personal food, water bottle, personal cook stove or backpack stove, clothing suitable for the weather, shoes/boots suitable for hiking, bugspray, sunscreen, personal first aid supplies, personal toiletries, wet wipes.